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A great later sleeper from Brian Auger – a record that's much deeper and more soulful than some of his earlier work – and done in a soaring style that's really great! Alex Lighterwood sings as much as Auger plays the keys here, but that's ok with us – because he fuses his voice... read more

A lost Burt Bacharach treasure – a bit later than classic vintage, but a wonderful album from the mature maestro – and sometimes overlooked, due to its status as a soundtrack! The work here is totally great – that mellow, easy-flowing style that Burt really perfected around the... read more

Classic level greatness from Bobby Bare – with the complete The Real Thing and I Hate Goodbyes/Ride Me Down Easy records from 1970 and 1973 – plus a smattering of some his best ever recordings as bonus tracks! At his peak – and we consider this to be peak material – Bobby... read more

A hip little set from The Beat Boys – an Argetine group working in late 60s Brazil, supposedly with a bit of an influence on the sound of Tropicalia! The sound here is a bit straighter than the work of Caetano Veloso or Os Mutantes – a bit in the Jovem Guarda sound of more mainstream... read more

A really bold step forward for this cool Chilean combo of the late 60s – a set that still has all the raw garagey energy of their previous work, yet which also has them taking a lot more chances in the studio too! The album has this great core sound that's heavy in twang and fuzz – yet... read more

Great guitar from Luiz Bonfa – two albums that have the bossa legend moving way past his roots! Introspection has Bonfa recording in New York – a superb solo guitar session that has him playing the instrument as a "miniature orchestra", shading in a rich array of colors,... read more

Surprisingly nice work from Peter Brown – a groover who still managed to hit on all burners after his early years at TK Records! Brown's definitely got a crossover feel here – clubby rhythms, but topped with vocals that belie his look on the front – and which, along with the... read more

An amazing record – one that stands as one of Chico Buarque's greatest from the 70s! The set was recorded in Italy in 1970 – and features Chico singing lead vocals over backings handled by Ennio Morricone – all in a style that's a perfect blend of MPB with the best elements of... read more

Groundbreaking work on vibes by Gary Burton – recorded in a setting that's live and open, yet quite groovy too! There's a rhythmic freeness that marks the set from the very first note – lessons learned from the generation of Ornette, yet taken in new direction – and definitely... read more

A wicked lost album of righteous funk and poetic knowledge from the great Gary Byrd! Gary began his life as a soul DJ in New York, but by the early 70s, he was using his rich voice to create recordings designed to educate as much as entertain. That said, the album is as funky as it is strident,... read more

A killer album of 70s New Orleans funk! Chocolate Milk were an amazing funk group in their best moments – and this album is certainly one of those moments – a blistering batch of tracks that set a whole new style for the Crescent City scene, and which showed that producers Allen... read more

No friction here, as the groove is mighty tight, and plenty smooth – a great example of the way that Chocolate Milk found a whole new sound in the 80s! Gone are the heavier modes of the 70s, and in their place are some wicked keyboards and bass-heavy rhythms – snapping and popping with... read more

A legendary run of music from the late, great Sam Cooke – almost all of his recordings for RCA Records, packaged here in one sweet little package! The scope of the set is wonderful – and almost something of a revelation, given that a number of these titles have never appeared on CD in... read more

A self-titled set that features a nice batch of lesser-known gems from Sam Cooke's early 60s years on RCA! Lots of the material here is a nice contrast to some of the hit-heavy Cooke sets on the market – not that those aren't great, but it's just good to hear some of the other sides of Sam's... read more

A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that... read more

A posthumous collection of material that Sam recorded for RCA before his untimely death – not really a greatest hits collection, but a lot better than the usual "house cleaning" type of record that gets issued in this sort of situation! Arrangements are by Stan Applebaum, Jimmie... read more

A beautiful bit of funky rocking soul – and the one and only album by the Deirdre Wilson Tabac – a group whose name is as strange as their grooves are funky! The group are best known for their well-compiled track "I Can't Keep From Cryin Sometimes" – an uptempo jazzy... read more

Amazing! One of the few rare records cut by Bill Dixon during the 60s, and a perfect example of "new thing" jazz in action. Trumpeter Dixon plays in 3 different ensembles – a nonet, a quintet, and a duet – with players like Byard Lancaster, Reggie Workman, Robert Pozar, and... read more

One of the coolest club combos of the 70s – the mighty Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – a group with a sound that's a lot tighter than their name! The group's probably best known for giving exposure to August Darnell in his pre-Kid Creole years – but they've also got a sound... read more

A strange film, but a great soundtrack! George Duning came up with an excellent batch of jazzy tracks for the film – and most of them swing hard and tightly, with strong jazzy solos, in a manner that's similar to some of Henry Mancini's best scores of the late 50s. A number of tracks have... read more

A wealth of great work from vocalist Ethel Ennis – her full This Is Ethel Ennis album for RCA, plus a host of additional bonus tracks as well! The full album features Ethel's great vocals alongside dynamic backings from Sid Bass – music that's certainly jazz at the core, but which also... read more

Gil plays Jimi? Sounds like a gimmick, but it comes off pretty darn great – and it helps you forgive him for trying to convince the kids that he's not as old as his grey hair might make you think! As always with Evans, the key to the album is a beautiful balance between the strength of the... read more

Incredible work by The Exciters – material we totally love to death, most of which is a lot harder-hitting than the group's earlier hits in the 60s! The package pulls together their post-UA recordings for the Bang, Shout, and RCA labels – the first to of which are represented by... read more

An incredible concept album from the end of the 60s – the only set we've ever seen by The Family Tree, but a record of baroque brilliance that sits beautifully with some of the best of its generation! The session was recorded at the same time as Nilsson's classic Aerial Ballet – with... read more

Massive work from Aretha Franklin's ultra-hip sister – singer Carolyn Franklin, a soul artist that we'd gladly trade for Aretha any time! Carolyn got her start in deep soul modes that were somewhat similar to Aretha's work on Atlantic – but she also worked with production that was a... read more

A pair of 60s albums from one of the more dynamic bandleaders at RCA! Something Special For Movie Lovers has Marty Gold taking on a host of movie themes from the early 60s – numbers by Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mandel, and others – all given a twist that's somewhere in the... read more

A pair of instrumental classics from Marty Gold – back to back on a single CD! Sounds Unlimited is filled with soaring sounds from RCA maestro Marty Gold – maybe not the totally unlimited record you might expect from the title, but definitely a key 60s entry in the genre of bachelor... read more

Weldon Irvine's last album for a major label – and a key set that marks the debut of the legendary Don Blackman! Irvine's still very much in charge of the session, but Blackman's emerging here with the strength that would show up on his later soul sessions – singing lead vocals on some... read more

Massively funky work from the mighty Weldon Irvine – sublimely cosmic and filled with soul throughout! The vibe here is a bit more focused than on some of Weldon's earlier albums – a moody blend of electric keys, heavy percussion, and some slight bits of jazzy solo work by trumpeters... read more

Massive music from the legendary Weldon Irvine – three albums in a single set! Cosmic Vortex is a genius bit of work from the legendary Irvine – a mightily righteous effort that more than lives up to its heady title and cover! Keyboards are very much at the forefront of his sound... read more

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... read more

One of the real standouts in Evelyn King's career – a sharply focused album that's filled with catchy 80s styled tunes – and which benefits from some great help from a young Kashif! Lots of the tracks have that great flair for a catchy hook that mark's Evelyn's best work – an... read more

A really wonderful album from Michel Legrand – one of his few jazz efforts to really capture the same dynamic charm of his soundtracks! The album was recorded live – with a mixed group of electric and acoustic players that includes Joe Beck, Randy Brecker, Ron Carter, Phil Woods, and... read more

One of a few key efforts done by Michel Legrand for RCA in the 70s – sessions that stand out as some of his best jazz work from the decade, and which present Legrand in unfettered brilliance, both as a player and arranger! This live date still has the original compositions and sense of... read more

A really nice batch of early 80s soul from Loose Ends – one of the best remembered groups who were making strong soul music in Britain in the period – and who actually recorded this excellent first album at Philadelphia's Alpha Studios! Making the record in Philly was a wise decision... read more

One of the most striking groups we've heard from the Chilean scene of the late 60s – a quartet who have the groovy garagey sound of their contemporaries, but also manage a darker style overall! The lyrics are in English throughout – something the band always insisted on – but... read more

A tremendous little record from Love Peace & Happiness – a great vocal trio from the early 70s, and one who really shine with this overlooked gem for RCA! The trio were part of the New Birth/Nite Liters universe that producer Harvey Fuqua brought to the label at the time – and they'... read more

A great little album from Pat Lundy – an enigmatic talent who crops up a number of times over the years – but always on different record labels, and always with a slightly different sound and style! This album's one of Pat's best – and has her working in a sophisticated soul... read more

Two of our favorite albums by The Main Ingredient – back to back on a single CD! Euphrates River is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still... read more

A killer set from a group that never lets us down – stepping out here in a sound that's more modern, more mature than their hit work of the 70s – yet still filled with all the sublime harmony soul we'd expect from the trio of Tony Silvester, Cuba Gooding, and Luther Simmons! Wade... read more

Some of the greatest work ever by The Main Ingredient – a selection of their singles for RCA records from the late 60s and early 70s – but one that goes way past just the hits, in order to fully trace the evolution of their heavenly vocal style! The trio started out as an already-great... read more

A pair of great early albums from Main Ingredient – Tasteful Soul from 1970 and Bitter Sweet from 1971 – in a single set! Tasteful Soul is one of the groups earliest records, with a great set of Bert DeCoteaux arrangements, and a totally sweet soul harmony sound! The arrangements are... read more

A Sunshine Pop treasure – and a record that perfectly straddles a few different strands of late 60s pop! The quintet have fabulous harmonies – of the sort rooted in The Four Freshmen, and given a sunny finish by The Beach Boys – but they also move here in a way that prefaces soft... read more

Two amazing sets from Harold McNair – a fantastic London 60s flute player with a really sharp edge! The self-titled Harold McNair has the leader working in a tight combo with some nice offbeat sounds – including a lot of breathy, soul-toned notes that remind us a fair bit of Roland... read more

The amazing debut of Ronnie McNeir – a 70s soul maestro we'd rank right up there with Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson, or Leon Ware – but one who's possibly even more impressive, given that he cut this record when he was only 22 years old! The album's quite heavy on keyboards –... read more

A strange, yet cool little record from Terry Melcher! Melcher was the consummate LA hipster – the son of Doris Day, a friend of Brian Wilson, and allegedly the real target of The Manson Family when Sharon Tate was knocked off – that's a whole heck of a lot of 60s and 70s baggage –... read more

A pair of killers from this legendary group! High On Music is one of the funkiest albums ever from The Memphis Horns – that super-tight instrumental combo headed by Andrew Love on tenor and Wayne Jackson on trumpet! Both players had years in the Memphis soul scene under their belt by the... read more

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and... read more

Early darkness from Ennio Morricone – an obscure mid 60s action thriller that combines boldly driving numbers with other tunes that slip into some of the spareness of his work for westerns! The work here is as mod and cool as you might guess from the cover – a bit more in a... read more

The tinkling piano of Peter Nero – heard to great effect on these two 60s albums for RCA! On Impressions, the sweet piano of Peter Nero takes on the music of Burt Bacharach – all with results that are every bit as groovy as you might expect! There's a bit more punch to the record than... read more

2 long-overdue classics from New Birth – back to back on a single CD! Ain't No Big Thing captures the group near the beginning of their career – when they were sort of a funky soul army, featuring the instrumental talents of The Nite-Liters, the vocal strength of a number of excellent... read more

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar... read more

A landmark album from the New York Community Choir – a gospel group at heart, but one who've ended up in plenty of 70s soul collections – thanks to the strength of this sweet little set! The vocals are tremendous – proud and righteous, with a power that's undeniable – and... read more

A masterpiece of hard and heavy funk – from one of the best bands of the early 70s! The Nite Liters were a legendary funky combo that provided the backing for some of New Birth's best albums – but on their own, they were even funkier, and had a sound that was part JBs, part Meters, and... read more

A crossover classic from the late 70s – a record that was born in the clubs, but bred in the mainstream – and the start of a very good relationship between Odyssey and RCA! The album will forever be known for its classic cut "Native New Yorker" – a seminal groover that... read more

Deadlier than Dracula – and a lot funkier too! This is the original soundtrack for the classic blacksploitation horror flick starring the baaadest Drac ever to grace the screen of all those shabby downtown theaters that were still around in the 70s – a wicked batch of wah wah tunes... read more

One of the best albums by offbeat jazz singer Annette Peacock – one with a loose, very innovative vibe in arrangements – with some pretty darn cool electronics! Annette not only has a strong voice, she's fearlessly creative in her use of it – and on this album, her vocals are... read more

Great later work from Pleasure – a group who are probably best-known for their classic 70s albums on Fantasy Records, but one who kept the groove riding high in some early 80s years at RCA! This set's a shimmering jewel – a great mix of funky rhythms and mellower moments, all wrapped... read more

A smoking set of work from Tito Puente – four classic albums, wrapped together in a single package – with a bonus album of rare material too! First up is Cuban Carnival – one of Tito Puente's finest albums for RCA, with a tight hard bunch of cuts that have a Cuban big band sound,... read more

Without a doubt, one of the most famous scores to come out of Hollywood in the 40s – David Raksin's enduring soundtrack for Laura – and it's as beautiful now as ever! The theme was recorded time and time again over the next few decades – in vocal and instrumental versions, by... read more

A classic album of 50s mood music – partially for its famous cover image of Jayne Mansfield on the telephone! But the music's pretty great too – less of the swinging, dynamic sounds you might guess from the "bachelor" in the title – and more in the mellower, romantic... read more

Vickie Sue Robinson hits a great groove here – thanks to production and arrangements from T Life, who seems to bring a deeper soul to the music! There's a fullness here that goes way beyond the usual – a soaring vibe that works perfectly with Robinson's famous vocals, and a well-rounded... read more

A nice reissue which brings together 3 LPs by one of the most underrecognized talents of 70's soul! DJ's deep soul voice is smooth and mellow, with the kind of honest heartbreaking quality that you find in the best work by Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder. It's Good To Be Alive finds DJ in a... read more

Landmark work from the Finnish scene of the 60s – one of those ultra-rare European jazz records that collectors have dug for decades! The set's got a stark, modern sort of feel – but also a nice soulful swing, too – a balance that few of the other Scandinavians hit so well at the... read more

An amazing chapter in the career of reedman Tony Scott – some key late 50s recordings done on the Swedish scene, issued here together for the first time, with a rare bonus track as well! Scott made some huge waves on the European scene in the 60s – thanks to important collaborations... read more

An 80s collection, but one that's filled with gems from Gil Scott-Heron's legendary early years at Flying Dutchman – a time when he was recording some of his most impressively righteous material ever! The music's a hip mix of protest poetry and sweet jazzy numbers – played with great... read more

Two rare Argentine albums from Vera Sienra – back to back on a single CD, with great notes too! Nuestra Soledad is a tremendous debut, and unlike anything that we can easily put into words – fado in style, but carried off in a way that's more bossa nova overall – yet done with a... read more

Smooth pop-oriented R&B from the early 80s – with Alfie singing in a vibrato-heavy style that's probably designed to make you think she's an emotional vocalist. The album contains the singles "There I Go" and "A Puppet To You" – plus the tracks "Put The... read more

Quite possibly the greatest music that Nina Simone ever recorded – brought together beautifully in one compact yet complete set! Nina Simone recorded some great music before she hit the RCA label in the late 60s – but her time at that company really saw a flowering of her unique... read more

Tavares chill things out nicely, definitely heading for the "new directions" in the title, and going for more of a mellow sound that was clearly going to help them reach new audiences in the post-disco years. The harmonies are as great as they always were in the early days, taking a... read more

Quite an unusual project from pianist Keith Tippett – a group that works in sparing, sensitive sounds – all at a level much gentler than other Tippett recordings of the time! There's a meditative, contemplative feel to the record – but one that's also inflected with some of the... read more

Two great slices of work from The Tymes – each of them different! First up is the Trustmaker album from 1974 – soaring soul from The Tymes – arguably their biggest album ever, and a key RCA Records soul set from the 70s! Like others at the time, the group get a hip new style... read more

Excellent sounds from Charlie Wilson – aka "Uncle Charlie", the former lead singer of The Gap Band! Wilson's great here, and really finds a comfortable space that works well right from the start – never trying to be too young or too contemporary, and instead stretching out in... read more