A very hip batch of 60s soul jazz numbers – played with a hard, full swing by the combo of LA bassist Clarence Daniels – and featuring vocals on a few of the best tracks! Daniels' group has a sound that's full, but never too much so – a great mix of rootsier soul jazz modes and more sophisticated arrangements – with a depth that almost reminds us of Oliver Nelson at times – but also with a sound that draws on the earlier jump blues sound of the postwar LA scene, reforged a bit for the 60s! This fantastic collection mixes Clarence's one full album with some rare singles and a number of unissued tracks too – and about half the set is instrumental, with saxes from Curtis Peagler – and singers on the other tracks include Obie Jessie, Sandy Miller, and Clarence Daniels himself. Titles include "Hard Working Girl", "Daddy's Got A Shotgun", "I Got To Get Ready", "Instrumental #3", "You Dig It", "Hello California", "Do The Deal", "I'll Drive My Blues Away", "Street Girl", "What Can A Poor Boy Do", "Baby I'm Gone", "I'll Never Let You Go", and "Pastel". CD

Jessie Davis has a nice deep vocal range here – one that easily spans both jazz and soul modes, which is perfect for the vamping jazzy vibe of the tune! The whole thing's got a haunting vibe that may well make it one of Davis' best tracks – and Gus Jenkins' flipside is an instrumental bluesy groover with some great piano and percussion! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Jessie Mae Hemphill might look like an 80s blues artist on the cover, but the record's got a much more vintage vibe – as the set features field recordings done on New Years Eve in 1989, with Jessie Mae singing in a style that seems geared to ring in the year with the ghosts of the past! The music has this really dark, moody vibe – guitar progressions that are cyclical and downturning – almost the sort of energy that Nick Cave was trying to put in his music at the time, but could never do this well – especially when topped with the raw, raspy vocals of Hemphill. Titles include "Holy Ghost", "DC9", "Run Get My Shotgun", "Married Man Blues", "Train Train", and "Nothing That You Say". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Jesse Mae Hemphill – a female blues talent who lay undiscovered for many years in Mississippi, then burst forth late in her life with a fantastic run of sounds like this! Most of the tunes are relatively spare – with Jessie Mae playing electric guitar in these hypnotic passages that cascade and revolve around one another – while she sings in this way that's almost harmonic in relation to her instrument. The approach is a bit like Howlin Wolf, but made very much Hemphill's own on these tracks – and titles include "Standing In My Doorway Crying", "Take Me Home With You Baby", "Crawdad Hole", "Bullyin Well", "Brokenhearted Blues", "Go Back To Your Used To Be", "Shake It Baby", and "Tell Me You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Chicago players, recording in London with a great quartet lineup – vocals from Big Walter Shakey Horton, who also plays harmonica – plus guitar from Martin Stone, bass from Jerome Arnold, and drums from Jessie C Lewis. LP, Vinyl record album

Jessie Belvin's often talked about in reverent tones as a bridge between a number of different styles of 50's R&B and vocal soul, but it's not until you hear a great compilation like this one that you realize how fantastic his stuff really is. This excellent Ace set compiles tracks from his great early years at Modern, and even includes some stuff that he did with the vocal group The Cliques. The sound is deep warm LA R&B, with a touch of Charles Brown and Clyde McPhatter, but also a startling premonition of later soul artists like Jerry Butler. Beautiful stuff, with a wide range of tracks, including some unreleased material that's as good as the hits on here. CD

Jazzy folk soul survivor Terry Callier returns to Mr Bongo with Hidden Conversations – with Terry's soul searching lyricism, warm vocals, and mood setting acoustic guitar paired with laidback production by trip hop pioneer Robert Del Naha of Massive Attack! The styles work pretty well together – Terry's way with a song and his performances are built ready to soar, even at their most stripped down and spare, and his voice and guitar are leading lights of the production, over spacey keys and trippy beats. Terry sings, speaks, scats, and tells stories wonderfully, and we're as proud as ever to have him as our Chicago-to-the-cosmos soul sage! Titles include "Wings", "Sunset Boulevard", "Hidden Conversations", "The Hood I Left Behind", "Once I Dreamed Of Heaven", "Fool Em I Fool R U", "Rice And Beans – Grace", "Jessie And Alice", "John Lee Hooker" and "Live With Me". CD

A wealth of great work from Jimmy Jones – a sweetly voice crooner who bridges the gap between rougher soul artists and the smoother sounds of singers like Sam Cooke and Jessie Belvin – best known for his hit "Handy Man" for the Cub label, but represented here with a huge amount of songs from the 60s! The set features 48 tracks in all, taking Jimmy way past the early hits, into territory explored by New York uptown artists – Ben E King, Tommy Hunt, Chuck Jackson, and others. The package is great – the first time Jimmy's ever been represented so heavily – and also comes with a full set of notes on the material, and an interview with Jimmy. Titles include the hit "Handy Man", plus "For You", "Ready For Love", "My Precious Angel", "Good Timin", "A Wondrous Place", "Never Had it So Good", "Dynamite", "Snap My Fingers", "Big Leg Woman", "Tell Me Why", "That Was My Mistake", "The Nights Of Mexico", "Mr Music Man", "Dear One", "I Say Love", "Pardon Me", "Mr Fix It", "Don't You Just Know It", and "Send Her Back Home To Me". CD

A beautifully overstuffed collection of early work from New Orleans soul legend Allen Toussaint – a set that not only includes many of his key recordings from the scene in the 60s, but also some of his important productions for other artists too! The package begins with Toussaint in the lead on a series of sides on CD one – working either as himself, or as Al Touson, or with The Stones, The Rubyiats, or Allen & Allen – all with these choppy, loping, heavy-grooving rhythms that were Toussaint's huge contribution to New Orleans soul right from the start! Titles include "Whirlaway", "Whipped Cream", "Moo Moo", "Wham Tousan", "Omar Khayyam", "I Don't Need One", "Baby Do Liddle", "Tomorrow", "Fat Cat", "Banana Split", and "Java". CD2 features a series of recordings done for the Minit, Instant, and Sansu labels – all with Toussaint involved either as producer, arranger, or musician – on material that forever shaped the sound of New Orleans – titles that include "A Certain Girl" by Ernie K Doe, "Over You" by Aaron Neville, "I Like It Like That (parts 1 & 2)" by Chris Kenner, "Sophisticated Cissy" by The Meters, "Holy Cow" by Lee Dorsey, "I'm Evil Tonight" by Betty Harris, "Oogsey Moo" by Jessie Hill, "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "Ruler Of My Heart" by Irma Thomas, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, and "Hot Tamales (parts 1 & 2)" by The Primemates. 50 tracks in all! CD

Nice small combo work from Lester Young – recorded with the obscure Jessie Drakes on trumpet! Titles include "Lester Warms Up", "Body & Soul", "Up & Atom", "Lester's Blues No 2", and "How High The Moon". CD

Nice small combo work from Lester Young – recorded with the obscure Jessie Drakes on trumpet! Titles include "Lester Warms Up", "Body & Soul", "Up & Atom", "Lester's Blues No 2", and "How High The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

20 tracks produced by Allen Toussaint – one of the greatest talents to ever emerge from the New Orleans soul scene, working here in his earlier years, coming up with a rough and chunky groove that's virtually defined the sound of the city! Titles include "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "Mother In Law" by Ernie K Doe, "Over You" by Aaron Neville, "Heavenly Baby" by Allen & Allen, "Te Ta Te Ta Ta" by Ernie K Doe, "It's Raining" by Irma Thomas, "A Certain Girl" by Ernie K Doe, "Whip It On Me" by Jessie Hill, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "Lipstick Traces" by Benny Spellman, "39 21 46" by The Showmen, and "Ooh Poo Pah Doo (parts 1 & 2)" by Jessie Hill. CD

Includes covers of "Bette Davis Eyes", "Jessie's Girl", "Take A Chance On Me", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Leader Of The Pack", "Queen Of Hearts", "Whip It", "Heartbreaker", "Hold On Tight", and "Losing You (I Really Wanna Lose You)". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Dennis Bell, Roy Hargrave, Lois Williams, Merrie Kilgore & the 4 Bs, the Stompers, Vinny & Kenny, Jessie Cotton, Larry Finnegan, Stag Lee, Nina & Jack, Tony, Bob & Jimmy, Lalo Guerrero and more. CD

An amazing set – all four of the legendary Warner Brothers albums by harmony giants Harpers Bizarre – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Feelin Groovy – the fab first LP by Harpers Bizarre! The group were one of the strangest pop ensembles operating in the seminal LA scene of the mid 60s – ostensibly a sweet harmony vocal group, but with a strangely childish approach that also had an ear open for the mind-blowing production styles of the Brian Wilson era. Van Dyke Parks was a big supporter of the group – and they perform a sublime version of his tune "Come To The Sunshine" as the leadoff track on the album – and even though Van Dyke didn't handle the arrangements of the record, the style of the music is very similar to his own, with guitar, bass, and drums coming into play with strings, woodwinds, and baroque orchestral touches. The record is as dark as it is sublime – one of those pop gems that hit big, but which has a brooding depth bubbling underneath the sugary coating – ala Pet Sounds. Tracks include "Happy Talk", "The Debutantes Ball", "I Can Hear The Darkness", "Raspberry Rug", and their huge hit version of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". Next is Anything Goes – the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change". The Secret Life Of Harpers Bizarre is the third album by Harpers Bizarre – and one that shows them growing in leaps and bounds with each new release! The record is a sublime fusion of sweet pop California 60s harmonies (ala The Sandpipers or The Lettermen), baroque arrangements with a fake dreamy nostalgia (ala Van Dyke Parks or Randy Newman), and drug-addled underground takes on the eazy sound of the generation (ala Brian Wilson or Love). This album is one of their most perfectly-realized visions, and it features a great blend of older songs, all hipped-up to modern LA arrangements by the likes of Nick De Caro, Perry Botkin, and others. The record has an approach that's simply mindblowing when you consider the amount of funds and effort that must have been put into a record that would only be truly appreciated 40 years later – and it's filled with great titles that include "Me, Japanese Boy", "Look To The Rainbow", "Funny How Love Can Be", "Mad", "Green Apple Tree", and "Las Mananitas". Last up is the group's fourth album, unfortunately, the last Warner album by Harpers Bizarre – one of the few testaments of genius left to us by this incredible group! The record shows the group moving past the sweet pop and dreamy nostalgia of earlier albums – tentatively stepping into the haze of the late 60s LA scene with a blend of songs that share a lot musically with earlier work, but which also seem to have a more adult approach to some of their themes. Arrangements are by the group mostly – with help from pop geniuses like Jack Nitzsche, Nick De Caro, Lenny Waronker, Harry Nilsson, and Perry Botkin Jr. The harmonies are sublime – and the group effortlessly blends original tunes like "Soft Soundin Music", "All Through The Night", "When The Band Begins To Play", and "There's No Time Like Today, along with bizarre covers like "Hard To Handle", "Something Better", "I Love You Alice B Toklas", and Jim Pepper's "Witchi Tai To", which is worth the price of the record alone! Bonus tracks include "Both Sides Now", "Small Talk", "Poly High", "If We Ever Needed The Lord Before", "Malibu U", "Cotton Candy Sandman", "Lost My Love Today", and "Bye Bye Bye". CD

Forget Tina Turner – we'll take Ike's backup singers, who sound great all the way through this collection! The Ikettes may never have had the fame of Tina, but back in the early and mid 60s, they were actually scoring a few more hits – and these recordings for the Modern label represent the group at their height – stepping firmly into righteous soul territory, shaking off any girl group cliches, and avoiding any of the stereotypes that could sometimes mar Ike Turner's projects. There's a really special sound here – one that's got bits of Motown, bits of R&B, and bits of Northern Soul – all wrapped together perfectly and delivered with sock-solid vocals from singers Robbie Montgomery, Jessie Smith, and Venetta Fields. The CD features all the material from the girls' full album for Modern – Soul The Hits – plus loads of other singles and even some unissued tracks! Titles include "Fine Fine Fine", "Camel Walk", "Sally Go Round The Roses", "Cheater", "You're Trying To Make Me Lose My Mind", "I'm So Thankful", "Don't Feel Sorry For Me", "Can't Sit Down Cos I Feel So Good", "Lonely For You", "Sha La La", "It's Been So Long", and "Nobody Loves Me". CD

The first album in a mighty legendary run from Taj Mahal – one of the first generation of blues musicians to really learn to recast their sound for the younger crossover generation! By that, we don't mean that Taj is commercial at all – it's just that he's kind of reclaiming the blues roots that had been filtered into mainstream rock by the late 60s time of this recording – stripping things down, and getting back to basics in a mighty nice way! He gets key help on the record from a young Ry Cooder, and from guitarist Jessie Ed Davis too – and titles include "Leaving Trunk", "EZ Rider", "Dust My Broom", "Diving Duck Blues", "The Celebrated Walkin Blues", and "Statesboro Blues". CD

2 classic 50s sessions – on a 2LP 80s set! On the first self-titled abum, Prez plays nice easy-going solos with a combo that includes Jessie Drakes on trumpet, Gildo Mahones on piano, John Ore on bass, and Connie Kaye on drums. The style of the tracks is in a warm mellow tone, which fits perfectly with Young's sweet sweet solo style. Tracks include "Another Mambo", "Somebody Loves Me", "Rose Room", and "Kiss Me Again". Next is the Pres & Sweets album – a classic Verve pairing of two of its greatest soloists, Lester Young and Harry Sweets Edison – both recorded here in a laidback, easily-swinging session that allows both players to shine equally! Young's tenor is always a welcome addition to any set of this nature, and Edison's playing here in a gentler, relaxed mode that's a wonderful fit to the easygoing groove laid down by the rhythm section of Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Buddy Rich. Titles include "Mean To Me", "That's All", "She's Funny That Way", and "Red Boy Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice small combo work from Lester Young – recorded with the obscure Jessie Drakes on trumpet! Titles include "Neenah", "Body & Soul", "Up & Atom", "Big Eyes Blues", and "How High The Moon". Plus, this set also features two unissued tunes that appear here for the first time – versions of "Jumpin With Symphony Sid" and "One O'Clock Jump". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard soul galore – a killer batch of upbeat vintage soul tunes – all pulled together from the wide range of many projects the Numero Group has handled over the years! This is the label's way of answering back to some of those overseas collections of American soul from the 60s – showing that Numero is every bit as well-tuned to the needs of Northern Soul clubbers and collectors as imprints like Ace/Kent, Outta Sight, and some of the other British labels! The package features a whopping 20 tracks in all – sock-soul groovers that you might have missed between the overstuffed track listings of other Numero compilations – sounding really great here together in the company of each other. Titles include "Wait A Minute" by Eddie Ray, "You Are My Sunshine" by Jerry Townes, "I'm Ready For Love" by Otis Brown, "Little Girl Blue" by The Webs, "Demanding Man" by The Sensations, "You're Not Loving A Beginner" by Jessie Fisher, "Do You Know What Love Is" by Syl Johnson, "Your Love Makes Me Lonely" by The Chandlers, "Stubborn Heart" by Earnest Mosley, "Look Around" by Two Plus Two, "Just Fun" by Brown Bombers & Soul Partners, and "Do The Pearl Girl (part 2)" by Matta Baby. CD

Music from Tarheel Slim, Professor Longhair, Ruth Brown, Piano Man Walls, Floyd Dixon, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers, Young Jessie, LaVern Baker, Bobby Charles, Big Maybell, Piano Red, and more – 18 tracks total. CD

The first album in a mighty legendary run from Taj Mahal – one of the first generation of blues musicians to really learn to recast their sound for the younger crossover generation! By that, we don't mean that Taj is commercial at all – it's just that he's kind of reclaiming the blues roots that had been filtered into mainstream rock by the late 60s time of this recording – stripping things down, and getting back to basics in a mighty nice way! He gets key help on the record from a young Ry Cooder, and from guitarist Jessie Ed Davis too – and titles include "Leaving Trunk", "EZ Rider", "Dust My Broom", "Diving Duck Blues", "The Celebrated Walkin Blues", and "Statesboro Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool little record from the early 70s Canadian blues rockers Whiskey Howl – who really show a geniune depth of bluesy influences – from small scale numbers with just vocals, guitar and harmonica, to bigger sounding tunes with a trio of saxes behind the drums, bass & guitar and beyond. The vocals are especially gritty and truthful, really coming off as wholly credible here! Titles include "Caledonia", "Early In The Morning", "Mother Earth", "Down The Line", "Rock Island Line", "One Hot Lady", "Pullin The Midnight", "I'm Not Talking", "Jessie's Song" and more. CD

Three different sessions – one from 1944 with Count Basie on piano, another from 1949 with Junior Mance at the keys and Jessie Drake on trumpet, and one more from 1948 with Johnny Guarnieri on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this second volume include "The Lord's Prayer" by The Dynamic Hughes Singers, "I've Got To Tell It" by The Southern Bells, "My Time Ain't Long" by The Shaw Singers, "It's A Shame How This World Has Changed" by The Gospel Wymics, "Stand By Me" by The M&M Singers, "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "Jesus He's A Miracle Worker" by The Gospel Six, "I Know I've Been Changed" by Sister Jessie M Sherley, and "I Got Jesus" by The Angelic Five. CD