Insanely wonderful doo-wop material from this legendary Chicago group – one of the few truly great full length albums in a mostly singles-dominated genre! The title track is well known not only for the original, but for a later famous sample by De La Soul – and it's a great example of the kind of grooves on the set – rough-hewn and gritty, much more in the best stripped-down doo wop mode, before production started getting too sweet. Titles include "At My Front Door", "Annie's Answer", "My Loving Baby", "Now That You've Gone", "Rock N Roll's For Me", "I Began To Realize", and "There In the Night" – and as an added bonus, the record actually features 2 more cuts by The Magnificents, another great Chicago group – "Up On the Mountain" and "Caddy Bo". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of work by The El Dorados – a solid smoking vocal group from 50s Chicago, with a sound that was a key influence on 60s soul! The set brings together a number of the group's classic Vee Jay recordings – but it also goes way past the traditional "best of" styled set, in that it features some unusual numbers too, plus a few unreleased tracks! As with all Solid Smoke albums, the production's incredible – with great notes and sound quality. Titles include "I Began To Realize", "A Rose For My Darling", "Lord Knows I Tried", "Rock N Roll's For Me", "It's No Wonder", "One More Chance", "3 Reasons Why", "A Fallen Tear", "Love Of My Own", and "Bim Bam Boom". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible fantasy of California pop – recorded too late in the 60s to really strike big, but with a perfect approach to mid-decade Beach Boys at their best! Mark Eric's clearly borrowing plenty of pages from Brian Wilson's bag for this set (and maybe Brian Hyland too) – and the original tunes have the beautiful quality of Wilson's best writing in the pre-Pet Sounds years – dealing with deeper themes, but in a very careful and sometimes guarded way that makes the tunes that much more heartfelt. The arrangements are Wilson-inspired too – but have a more mature style than the lyrics – handled by Vic Briggs with a quality that's similar to the brilliant Surf Symphony album of the same year – almost a dreamy remembrance of the sweeter side of California earlier in the decade, but undercut with some of the bluer, more adult modes of the time. Backings feature swirling strings, ringing vibes, and some groovy guitar – and Mark's vocals are often recorded in a way that harmonizes them against the lead – a one-man vocal group, with echoes of The Four Freshmen at times. Titles include "California Home", "Move With The Dawn", "Laura's Changing", "Lynn's Baby", "Just Passing By", "Sad Is The Way That I Feel", and "Take Me With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Gil Evans plays an electric grand piano and is joined by a rather large set of musicians who include Masabumi Kikuchi on a variety of synthesizers, Billy Cobham on drums, Lou Soloff on trumpet, George Lewis on trombone and many others. Tracks include two Evans originals – "Copenhagen Sight" and "Zee Zee" plus others like "Sirhan's Blues", a Jimi Hendrix song "Stone Free", and Mingus' "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress". LP, Vinyl record album

Indie pressing of the big radio hit produced by Just Blaze. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Sweet 70s grooves from Percy Faith – a snoozer of an arranger in the 60s, but a talent who picked up a lot for us in the 70s! The album features some strong tracks in which Percy mixes strings and easy instrumentation with electric bass and some nice drum work by Hal Blaine or Earl Palmer – creating tunes that at once have a glossy sweep, but also a nice little bounce that actually makes for some nicely funky moments that sparkle with a soundtrack feel. Some tunes are easy – but there's some really nice ones on here, like Percy's cover of Freddie Hubbard's "First Light", or versions of "Pata Pata", "Enter The Dragon", "Corazon", and "Crunchy Granola Suite"! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most magical records ever from this legendary group – a set that swings as hard and soulfully as some of their previous sessions, yet also has a sharper, more modern vibe as well! Of course, this latter aspect is no surprise – once you realize that a young Grachan Moncur is on trombone – adding his hip horn to the wonderful frontline of Benny Golson on tenor and Art Farmer on trumpet and flugelhorn. And given that the rhythm group also features Harold Mabern on piano, you can bet there's a freshness here that can't be beat – a sound and energy that's kept this one at the top of our stack for many many years. This one sided test pressing includes "Just In Time", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Love In Vain", and "Sonny's Back". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

With featured soloists Herb Geller on alto, Bill Holman and Georgie Auld on tenor, and Bobby Burgess and Milt Bernhart on trombones. LP, Vinyl record album

With Walt Fowler on trumpet and flugelhorn, David Garfield on synthesizers, Rhodes, and piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Gregg Bissonette on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Cool 60s work from guitarist Snuff Garrett! Maria Elena takes a host of older Latin themes and tunes them towards a hip 60s style – using the overdubbed guitar approach of the 50 guitars group, and really stretching the sound out wide towards the farthest reaches of both speakers! Snuff Garrett's guitar is in the lead, but it's also cast here in a pretty full sound – one that makes for a spacious quality that still sounds pretty darn great all these many years later. Titles include "Jungle Drums", "Anna", "Without You", "The Breeze & I", "Brazil", and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

We love Sonny Fortune – because he always plays so great! Sonny started as more of an acoustic soul jazz player – but by the time of this session, he's working with a lot of electric backing, in a fusiony mode that should dampen his enthusiasm, but which only seems to spur him onto new heights! The group's got some killer keyboards from Larry Willis, tight guitar from Ray Gomez, and lots of Latin percussion touches that really make the grooves dance – but the real highlight is Sonny, whose tone and placement are impeccable, almost in the vein of Gary Bartz during his years with Larry Mizell, but perhaps a bit more soaring and searching. Titles include "Afortunado", "Georgiana", "Igbob's Shuffle", and "Come In Out Of The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little Chicago group single from the old days! The Four Blazes were a lot rawer than some of their Chitown contemporaries, but that's ok with us – especially as the songs on this single seem to work better with less polished harmonies! 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A South African jazz set from the end of the 60s, but one with a different vibe than some of the rest – as the group have a lean style that still also seems to mix a fair bit of Township elements in with the jazz – which makes for tracks that have a wonderfully playful mix of modes, and a great sense of energy throughout! The group features Clifford Moses on lead guitar and a bit of vocals – the latter of which have a lightly raspy charm that's really unique – as he steps out next to core work from Richard Schilder on piano, Basil Moses on bass, and Billy Bowers on drums. The set also features some excellent guest work from the legendary Basil Coetzee on flute and alto – on titles that include "Seven Steps Lament", "Katrina", "Interim", "Up From Slavery", "Wells Square", and "Don't Close Your Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

An early hummer from one of the hardest male/female soul acts next to Ike & Tina Turner, but listed here under Inez's name. Inez & Charlie scored super big with their hit "Mockingbird" – the tune that kicks off this LP for a subsidiary of the Sue label – but they also had a style that could get them through a wide variety of material, grooving long past their hits, with great vocals up front, and plenty of hot guitar licks to keep the grooves rough! A dozen great numbers hee, including the title track and "Sitting Here", "Jaybirds", "The Ball Game", "Tom & Jim", "I See You My Love", "The Angels Got Together", "Broken Hearted Fool", "The Angels Got Together", "Searching For My CC", "Love Me Today" and "Talk With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more laidback albums from George Freeman's early 70s run – but still a great little set that shows the mellower side of his talents! Despite the sexy style of the cover, the sound here is relatively straight soul jazz – small combo work with Harold Mabern on acoustic piano, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Buddy Williams on drums – all in support of Freeman's snakey guitar lines over the gentle rhythms and slinky grooves. George's sound is slightly less tripped-out than on other records, but still has that undeniable Freeman tone – a raspy edge that's quite different than most of his contemporaries! Titles include "I Ain't Got Nobody", "You've Changed", "Groovy Lady", "Squeeze Me", and "Till There Was You". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album