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Titles include "Stagger Lee", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Come Into My Heart", "Lady Luck", "Never Let Me Go", and "Have You Ever Had The Blues?" – 18 tracks total. CD

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A seminal step forward for this legendary group – easily one of the greatest albums they ever cut! With ABC, the Jacksons are expanding their sound with the club-oriented grooves of the time – using Holland, Dozier, and Holland on many cuts, trying for a similar soaring groove as some of the trio's work on their own Invictus label. The move's actually a great one – as the maturing group has a strong adult harmony sound, the one that they would lean on more heavily during their years as The Jacksons, and which calls for much smoother arrangements than before. The record's got a surprisingly righteous, joyous sort of sound – and titles include "The Love You Save", "ABC", "One More Chance", "Never Had A Dream Come True", "I'll Bet You", "I Found That Girl", "La-La Means I Love You", "2-4-6-8", and "The You Folks". CD

28 tracks of music from the Dubs, the Floridians, Billy Champ, the Larktones, the Laurles, the Passions, the Persians, Gloria Mann, Evelyn Dell and Vibrations, the Larktones and more. CD

Four fantastic albums from Bobby Bland – all brought together in a single package for the first time! First up is Come Fly With Me – great work from Bobby Blue Bland – one of the few artists to rise up at the end of the 50s, and still find a way to chart their own path forward in soul with fresh material like this! Bobby's voice is still incredible here, and he works with production from Al Bell and Monk Higgins, the latter of whom arranged – in this cool style that's a bit like some of the territory that Tyrone Davis was taking on at Columbia Records during the second half of the 70s – fuller arrangements that bring some sophisticated soul touches to the music, but in ways that never lose the core of Bobby's genius! Titles include "Lady Lonely", "Night Games", "You Can Count On Me", "Love To See You Smile", "Come Fly With Me", and "To Be Friends". The next album is I Feel Good I Feel Fine – and Bobby Bland sounds pretty good too – thanks to arrangements from the great Monk Higgins, who does a perfect job of mixing Bland's trademark vocals with some sweet late 70s arrangements! The sound is upbeat, but never in a cliched disco mode – more in the territory that you'd hear Johnnie Taylor using over at Columbia Records – maybe a good comparison, given the Memphis roots that both artists shared – as both also evolved a lot to shift their sound with the changing modes of the time. And as with Johnnie, Bobby never loses the core that makes him great – as you'll hear on titles that include "Tit For Tat", "Soon As The Weather Breaks", "In His Eyes", "Someone To Belong To", "I Feel Good I Feel Fine", and "Little Mama". Sweet Vibrations is a real gem from the start of the 80s – arranged by Monk Higgins, who co-produced the set with Al Bell – a duo who'd already given Bobby some great records before, but who really knock it out of the park with this one. There's an extra-special quality going on here – maybe a slight reintroduction of blues roots, but still with a very contemporary spirit – set up to superb backings throughout. Titles include "Soul With A Flavor", "Hollywood Woman", "You'd Be A Millionaire", "Sweet Vibrator", "Special Kind Of Fool", and "A Real Woman Is What It Takes". Try Me I'm Real is record with a title that certainly fits the bill – as the amazing voice of Bobby Bland is as real here as it ever was, and blended with superbly soulful backings that take the singer's sound forward for a whole new generation! Some of Bobby's contemporaries were content to just stick in a straight blues mode – but Bland really grew and developed a lot as an artist, thanks in part to Monk Higgins and Al Bell – who are both at the production helm of the record, and balance the bluesy roots of Bobby with some richer soul backings that really knock the whole thing out of the park! We love Bobby Blue Bland during his early Duke Records years – but we love him equally as much for music like this, on titles that include "But I Do", "What A Difference A Day Makes", "Givin Up The Streets For Love", "A Song For You My Son", "Just You Just Me", and "Love Is Where It's At". CD

A landmark album from vocalist Betty Carter – not her first time in the recording studio, but maybe one of the first full length sets to really communicate all the genius she was bringing to the field of jazz vocals in the postwar years! The record is one of Carter's more sophisticated sessions, and it's one of the few from the old days to really capture her jazzy vocals well in a large group setting – using arrangements from Richard Wess to bring some nice modern currents to the proceedings. As always, Betty handles the material with a great deal of class, and an incredible sense of poise and emotion – and thee set list is nice, too, and includes many lesser-known tracks – like "For You", "Jazz (Ain't Nothin' But Soul)", "Don't Weep For the Lady", "My Reverie", and "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". CD

Sublime stuff! Sure, it's easy to sit back and say that you don't really dig Ray Charles albums that mix together country music and soul, and that you prefer his hard raw raunchy Atlantic recordings from the earlier days. But let's be honest, Ray really made his biggest splash with this stuff – and although it became extremely popular over the years, it's also part of a huge country soul tradition that's a very accurate representation of the rich crossover culture going on in southern soul, a tradition that for some reason always gets underplayed by folks who want to carve up the world in easy racial lines. Truth is, Ray was not the only soul artist to embrace country, and we can think of a host of others – including Solomon Burke, Ivory Joe Hunter, Joe Simon, Clarence Carter, Brook Benton, and Bobby Womack who all participated in this rich tradition. This set's essential if you're interested in checking out this side of Ray's career – and the price is pretty nice, considering that you get 4CDs, a great book, and 92 songs in all! Work is pulled from Ray's classic ABC sides in the format, plus others from before and after that generation. Titles include "A Born Loser", "I'm Movin On", "Busted", "Crying Time", "Teardrops In My Heart", "Half As Much", "No Letter Today", "Oh Lonesome Me", "Ring Of Fire", "What Am I Living For", "Let Your Love Flow", "Down In The Valley", and "Take These Chains From My Heart". CD

A pair of albums from saxophonist Wilton Felder – back to back on a single CD! We All Have A Star offers up solo sounds from Crusaders reedman Wilton Felder – a really great set that's very much in the best vibe of his larger group at the time – yet one that also offers up a stronger focus on Wilton's sublime solo work on tenor! The album's got plenty of Crusaders help on board – given that Stix Hooper and Joe Sample produced the set along with Wilton – and the vibe's a wonderful blend of electric backings, with especially great keyboard lines, and Felder's well-phrased saxophone lines over the top! A few cuts feature vocals – sung by Angela Bryant or Debbie Demoia Ross – and titles include "We All Have A Star", "I Know Who I Am", "The Cycles Of Time", "Why Believe", "Ride On", and "You & Me & Ecstasy". Inherit The Wind is one of the best Crusaders-related solo projects – a soulful bit of fusion from saxophonist Wilton Felder, co-produced with his fellow Crusaders! The album's got the best sunny finish of the group's late 70s albums – traces of Latin, funk, and soul bubbling through a warm jazzy mix – staying soulful all the way through, and coming up with a sound that's smooth, but never sleepy. The blueprint for a million other records – none of which ever sounded this good! Titles include "Insight", "LA Light", "Until The Morning Comes", "Someday We'll All Be Free", and "Inherit The Wind". CD

An album with "midwest" in the title, but one that features Arlyn Gale standing under the Brooklyn Bridge – and coming across in a really cool hybrid of singer/songwriter and more polished AOR modes! Gale himself plays acoustic guitar, instead of electric – which matches the spirit of his raspy, unpolished vocals, and gives the record some of the charms that you might hear from early Springsteen – not that Arlyn's like the boss at all, but he just has a way of balancing a sense of individuality with bigger label production. Omar Hakim is part of the group on drums – and titles include "Suspicious Fires", "She's Alright", "Halfway To Hell", "Take The Night Flight", "Tiger On The Lawn", and "Sunrise On Sunset". CD

An assortment of work from the team of Urbie Green and Jimmy Raney – two players who rarely worked together in such small group settings! First up is the full ABC album Blues & Other Shades Of Green – one of the most obscure small group sessions by trombonist Green – a heck of a great player who was too often lost amidst larger ensembles! The album's got Urbie playing both slide and valve trombone, in a quintet that includes Jimmy Raney on guitar, Dave McKenna on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – and the tracks have a tightly arranged approach, but also still allow plenty of room for the individual instrumentalists to express themselves. Titles include "Reminiscent Blues", "One For Dee", "Am I Blue", "Dirty Dan", "Warm Valley", "Paradise", and "It's Too Late Now". Added to that album are 3 more tracks from the Vinnie Burke All Stars album for ABC – truly an all-star session, as the record boasts a lineup that includes Jimmy Raney on guitar, Al Cohn on tenor, Urbie Green on trombone, Eddie Costa on piano, and Joe Morello on drums! The sound is in keeping with Burke's album for Bethlehem, but fleshed out a bit more with the extra horn players – kind of a loosely swinging take on the chamber jazz sound of the mid 50s, with room for plenty of gentle solos from the key players in the set. The sound excellent – recorded with that crispness and focus that made the best mid 50s ABC jazz sides so great – and the 3 titles include "Lulu's Back In Town", "Blue Jeans", and "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You". Last up are 4 more titles from a rare 10" LP – Urbie Green & His Band, featuring Freddie Green on guitar (instead of Raney), Ruby Braff on trumpet, Med Flory on alto, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, and Sir Charles Thompson on piano. The sound is somewhat more traditional, but never too much so – and tracks include "Med's Tune", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Old Time Modern", and "I Got It Bad". CD

A wonderful duet set from Isaac Hayes and Dionne Warwick – one that draws on the classiest side of the Hayes spectrum, and uses his groove to help Dionne find some great new energy! Even in performance, the music has that great rich quality that Isaac always brought to his solo recordings in the 70s – with strings, backup singers, and some tight undercurrents that help keep things soulful throughout – really cutting through the schmaltz of Ike's shiny tux on the cover! Dionne really sparkles in his company – and the record features duo numbers, solo spots, and even some nice medley tracks. The band behind the pair are electric, mellow, and very soulful – and titles include "Can't Hide Love", "Chocolate Chip", "Then Came You", "Come Live With Me", "Unity", and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "I Say A Little Prayer", done nicely in a medley together. CD

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The first solo album from the team of Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr – and a set that's arguably even more soulful than their work together in The 5th Dimension! The pair are lucky to have Groovesville soul maestro Don Davis at the helm – helping them hit a more mature, more contemporary sound that mixes equal parts club rhythms with some of the smoother styles of the late 5th Dimension years. McCoo's vocals are especially wonderful – classy, but always quite heartfelt – at a level that almost comes across like some of the best Philly International vocalists of the same period – especially on the soaring disco numbers! Titles include "You Can't Change My Heart", "You Don't Have To Be A Star", "We've Got To Get It On Again", "Easy Way Out", "My Love For You", and "I Hope We Get To Love In Time". 3 bonus tracks: "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show) (Single Version)" and "I'm So Glad I Found You". CD

Kickin it is – as the album's way more than just the typical gospel you might expect – and is a perfect example of the way the Mighty Clouds Of Joy helped cross the bridge between secular and spiritual sounds in the 70s! The record has a groove that most other mainstream soul acts could ever hope for – served up by stellar southern producer David Crawford, and arrangements from Mike Terry – on an album that almost grooves enough for the clubs, and brings in lots of new energy to the male gospel quintet format! These guys are hardly your grandfather's gospel group – and instead get downright slinky and sexy with the way they approach the music – almost giving Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes a run for their money, on excellent cuts that include "Mighty High", "Leanin", "You Are So Beautiful", "I Got The Music In Me", "Millionaire", "Touch My Soul", and "Everything Is Love". CD features two bonus tracks – single mixes of "You Are So Beautiful" and "Mighty High". CD

The debut of Orleans – and a set that's got all the charms of the group's later work, but a more down to earth vibe as well! The instrumentation and presentation is great – as impeccable as you'd expect, but not nearly as polished – with maybe some of the more personal warmth that a group like America were displaying at the time – although with some slightly rootsier touches in the instrumentation at times. The balance is as good as the harmonies – and the whole thing's a great way of showing how later AOR evolved out of unique combinations like this. Titles include "Two Faced World", "Please Be There", "Turn Out The Light", "Mountain", "Wanderlust", "It All Comes Back Again", "Stoned", and "Ticonderoga Moon". CD

One of the greatest blacksploitation soundtracks ever – a massively beautiful record that goes beyond any cliches of the genre, and serves up a fantastically unique batch of tracks! Chisoul arranger Johnny Pate did the music for the film – and (dare we say it?) it's even greater that Issac Hayes' work for the first Shaft film – with a depth, sensitivity, and soul that's really amazing – and which has kept the record at the top of our crates for many years. The 4 Tops turn out a great later vocal on the album's theme tune "Are You Man Enough" – and Johnny himself does stellar work on the tracks "Shaft In Africa", "Headman", "You Can't Even Walk In The Park", "El Jardia", "Jazar's Theme", and "Truck Stop"! CD

God, we love this record – and we're not ashamed to admit it! Sure, it sold a gazillion copies – and sure, for some folks it showed the true demise of the Crusaders ensemble. But for us, it's a masterpiece of smooth fusion, and a landmark album of easy jazz that spawned countless imitators that could never hope to match Sample's simple and elegant use of funky riffing and lyrical chords – coming in with just the right dash of darkness when the record's in danger of sounding too light. Most of the rest of the Crusaders had a hand in the record, and the set's got the smooth west coast sound you'd expect from the title. Tracks include "Carmel", "Cannery Row", "Sunrise", and "More Beautiful Each Day". CD

Perhaps the rarest of all Jimmy Scott albums – and perhaps the best, too! Jimmy cut this one for Ray Charles' Tangerine label (it was the label's first) – a fact that's driven home on the front cover, where a lounging sexy couple is reclining in front of a fire with a bottle of wine and two of Ray's albums from the time! The real star here, though, is Jimmy – who lays down some of the best vocals of his career over totally sympathetic arrangements by Marty Paich and Gerald Wilson, carefully crafting sad lonely versions of standards like "There Is No Greater Love", "They Say It's Wonderful", "Someone To Watch Over Me", and "How Deep Is The Ocean". Jimmy makes these tunes all his own, singing the songs in that wispy fragile gender-bending way that's always been both his biggest strength and greatest curse! CD

The amazing debut of Soft Machine! It's hard to find a more seminal moment of jazz rock from the British scene – and there's certainly few albums from its generation that stand up as well over the years as this one! The trio of Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, and Michael Ratledge carve out the future of progressive playing on this excellent set of shorter tunes that still offer up all the hard jamming of later years. Beat group morphs into prog jazz before your very eyes – on tracks like "Hope For Happiness", "Why Am I So Short", "Save Yourself", "Priscilla", "So Boot If At All", "A Certain Kind", "Lullabye Letter", and "Why Are We Sleeping?". CD

The first album from Steely Dan, and a really nice chapter in their career – one that's maybe a bit less iconic than the late 70s records, but in a way that really keeps things interesting! There's definitely less jazz and polish than on the later albums – but already, the group are writing the kinds of songs that nobody ever seemed to pen before, and which few other groups could match later – despite the countless legions who tried! The guitars are all nice and strong – that sharp Skunk Baxter edge that helped get the group firmly onto the charts right away – on titles that include their classic singles "Do It Again" and "Reelin In The Years", the oft-showcased "Dirty Work", and other cuts that include "Kings", "Midnite Cruiser", "Only A Fool Would Say That", "Fire In The Hole", "Brooklyn Owes The Charmer Under Me", "Change Of The Guard", and "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again". CD

The first album from Steely Dan, and a really nice chapter in their career – one that's maybe a bit less iconic than the late 70s records, but in a way that really keeps things interesting! There's definitely less jazz and polish than on the later albums – but already, the group are writing the kinds of songs that nobody ever seemed to pen before, and which few other groups could match later – despite the countless legions who tried! The guitars are all nice and strong – that sharp Skunk Baxter edge that helped get the group firmly onto the charts right away – on titles that include their classic singles "Do It Again" and "Reelin In The Years", the oft-showcased "Dirty Work", and other cuts that include "Kings", "Midnite Cruiser", "Only A Fool Would Say That", "Fire In The Hole", "Brooklyn Owes The Charmer Under Me", "Change Of The Guard", and "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again". CD

The complete legacy of Glad – and the related New Breed group as well! The set begins with the group's classic album Feelin Glad – a sweet bit of 60s sunshine, and a record that's every bit as charming as you might guess from the cover – served up by a group who are well into the best harmonies of the time, but also digging for something deeper too! The vibe isn't really psychedelic, but there's certainly some of those elements at play – as the group get help on some larger arrangements from producer Erik Wangberg, who uses just the right touches from song to song to keep things interesting, and from ever falling into too-familiar territory! The record's filled with groovy little original tunes in a variety of flavors – and titles include "Bedtime Story", "A New Tomorrow", "Sweet Melinda", "Silly Girl", "Johnny Silver's Ride", "No Ma It Can't Be", and a cool remake of "Shape Of Things". CD also features 8 more mono Glad singles, mostly of tracks from the album – plus 8 more earlier tracks by The New Breed – all mono singles by an earlier version of the group, already really able to deliver pure Cali harmonic genius! CD

Music from Deluxx Folk Implosion, Blind Melon, Better Than Ezra, Goodness, Pavement, Ween, The Lemonheads, Chavez, Moby, Man Or Astro-Man?, Buffalo Tom, Daniel Johnston, and more. CD

Trumpeter Ruby Braff and pianist Dave McKenna – a tremendous combination that makes for some very swinging music! The CD features the full track list from the excellent (and obscure) ABC album recorded by the pair in 1956 – a great date that draws from Braff's more traditional approach to jazz trumpet, but which also inflects it with a good dose of McKenna's well-stated and sometimes more modern lines on piano. Rhythm is by Sam Herman on guitar, Al Lucas on bass, and Buzzy Drootin on drums – and although the style is trad, there's also a lean and hoke-free quality to the work that's a lot more appealing than we expected. Titles include "Why Was I Born", "Blue Prelude", "Dancing In The Dark", "Louisiana", "It's Wonderful", "Lover Come Back To Me", and "Almost Like Being In Love". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks too – 7 from the album Braff, 1 from the album Easy Now, and 1 with Benny Goodman. All tracks feature Braff and McKenna – and titles include "As Long As I Live", "Stardust", "I'm Shooting High", "Soft Lights & Sweet Music", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "If I Had You". CD

Sure, their name marks them as part of that big world of prepackaged soul groups, and yes, their costumes on the cover may look a bit goofy – but over the years, this debut's got maybe a bit more staying power than some of their contemporaries! There's plenty of hip hop production in the mix – mostly handled by Dallas Austin, and with those kind of elements that you might find showing up in remixes of main cuts more than the album cuts themselves – but that also keeps things popping and hopping, and definitely does plenty to offset the youth in the vocals, which might not sound nearly as good on their own. So maybe think of the album as much as Austin's as it is the work of the group, and you'll get the vibe – with titles that include "Spyderman", "Mental Interlude", "Playground", "Little Soldiers", "Jealous Girl", "ABC", "That's My Girl", and "My World". CD

A really unique document of the struggle and story of Angela Davis – recorded in 1971 by ABC news, and packaged together here as kind of a sonic program by Folkways! The record works like a short news program – starting out with a statement by Angela, then moving to a narrated introduction, then a long interview conducted by Joe Walker of Muhammad Speaks. Side two continues with a panel discussion on the case, then ends with some very cool "man in the street" style interviews! Capped off with a really great cover photo of Angela too! CD

A fantastic bit of lost hardbop – an obscure ABC album that has Kenny Dorham working with his Jazz Prophets group! The combo's a quintet with a unique lineup that includes Dick Katz on piano, JR Monterose on tenor, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and the whole set's got an open-ended sort of approach that's much more like albums of the time on Blue Note or Savoy than it is the usually more staid ABC jazz sides of the 50s! Monterose and Dorham are fantastic, and really open up on the 5 tracks on the album – all of which are long enough to give the players plenty of room to blow. Probably one of the best jazz records ever recorded for ABC – with titles that include "The Prophet", "DX", "Tahitian Suite", and "Blues Elegante". CD

A fantastic bit of lost hardbop – an obscure ABC album that has Kenny Dorham working with his Jazz Prophets group! The combo's a quintet with a unique lineup that includes Dick Katz on piano, JR Monterose on tenor, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and the whole set's got an open-ended sort of approach that's much more like albums of the time on Blue Note or Savoy than it is the usually more staid ABC jazz sides of the 50s! Monterose and Dorham are fantastic, and really open up on the 5 tracks on the album – all of which are long enough to give the players plenty of room to blow. Probably one of the best jazz records ever recorded for ABC – with titles that include "The Prophet", "DX", "Tahitian Suite", and "Blues Elegante". CD

Excellent middle period work by the Dramatics – recorded after their years at Stax, with a slightly smoother groove, and featuring some great tunes that really sparkle! By this point, the group were hitting a Detroit modern mode – with less of the rough edges of the Stax work, which meant that the harmonies were even tighter than ever – perfectly placed on the best cuts, with a precision you wouldn't have expected a few years earlier. Songwriting is still great – and this 16 track set features many fine numbers from their ABC LPs of the late 70s when the group were working with Don Davis. Titles include "Be My Girl", "Love Is Missing From Our Lives", "Door To Your Heart", "Stop Your Weeping", "Shake It Well", "You're Foolin You", and "Do What You Want Be What You Are", one of the greatest 70s ballad tracks ever! CD

Not to be confused with the Floaters first album, this is a pretty tasty batch of tracks from the group's short run on ABC records in the late 70s. The centerpiece of the CD is the title cut – "Float On" – the group's enduring favorite, and a massive track that's presented here in its full long version, running nearly 12 minutes long, and a spacey building number that slips out, grooves around, and slinks in slow dancing way that's forever made it a favorite with the classic slow jam crowd! Other tracks are a mix of similar mellow groovers and a few uptempo numbers – and the CD's 8 tracks include "No Stronger Love", "I Bet You Get The One You Love", "Got To Find A Way", "I Am So Glad I Took My Time", and "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me". CD

Shirley Horn's definitely swinging here – in a set of tracks that features groovy numbers from two different points in her career! Some of the work on the set is from her early 60s years on Mercury and ABC Records – and the other half's from that great stretch in the 90s when her career had really been revived, thanks to a host of excellent recordings for Verve! The mix of material is really great, and shows a wider range of Horn's talents than you'll normally find on other collections – mixing 60s swingers in with some more mature numbers from the later years. Titles include "Big City", "The Great City", "Mack The Knife", "That's No Joke", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "Peel Me A Grape", "How Am I To Know", "Come Dance With Me", and "The Best Is Yet To Come". CD

A pair of 60s classics by the mighty Impressions – back to back on a single CD! On Keep On Pushing, there's no need for The Impressions to push from behind – because with a record like this, they're very firmly in the driver's seat! The album's a treasure through and through – one of the greatest documents of 60s soul from the Chicago scene – filled with sublime original compositions by a young Curtis Mayfield, set to great arrangements from the legendary Johnny Pate! The sound here is immaculate – a groove that's slightly stepping, gently lilting – just enough to get things moving, but with plenty of care not to smother the fragile harmonies of the group. And as on other of the best ABC albums by The Impressions, there's not a hint of filler here – just one great track after another, with titles that include "Amen", "I Made A Mistake", "Don't Let It Hide", "Keep On Pushing", "Somebody Help Me", "Long Long Winter", and "I've Been Trying". People Get Ready is one of the greatest albums ever from The Impressions – and a set that takes their work to a whole new level, by bringing in an even more righteous sound! The core elements of the group's 60s genius are all in place here – compositions from Curtis Mayfield, arrangements from Johnny Pate, and sublime harmonies from the group. But there's also something extra too – a new level of consciousness that's creeping into the music, hinting at the more righteous subject matter of later years – but with a much more subtle approach. All tracks are great – and titles include "See the Real Me", "Woman's Got Soul", "We're In Love", "Can't Work No Longer", and "Emotions". CD

A raw soul classic from Otis Spann – one of those great late 60s dates from the time when Bob Thiele was producing the Bluesway label for ABC, and really found a way to bring out the best in artists like Otis! Spann had always been great, but there's a bolder, edgier quality here – both in his vocals, which really push things to the max with their inflections – and his piano playing, which is loose and fluid – in the company of Muddy Waters and Luther Johnson on guitar, George Buford on harmonica, and Lucille Spann on some additional guest vocals! Buford is great, too – a wonderful second "voice" on the record – and titles include "Diving Duck", "Shimmy Baby", "Looks Like Twins", "Doctor Blues", "Nobody Knows", "Down To Earth", "My Man", and "Heart Loaded With Trouble". CD

One of the more obscure albums by Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross – a session of Basie tunes, performed with backing by the Count, plus additional lead vocals by Joe Williams, the voice most closely associated with the Basie group at the time! The style is similar to the trio's Sing A Song Of Basie album for ABC, but handled here with a bit more of an edge, and a rougher, more freewheeling groove that's a better fit for the great Basie sound of the late 50s – a great adaptation of the groove by Jon Hendricks, Dave Lambert, and Annie Ross! The record's a nice sometimes-overlooked chapter in the excellent Count Basie run on Roulette – and titles include "Every Tub", "Rusty Dusty Blues", "The King", "Shorty George", and "Let Me See". CD

One of the more obscure albums by Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross – a session of Basie tunes, performed with backing by the Count, plus additional lead vocals by Joe Williams, the voice most closely associated with the Basie group at the time! The style is similar to the trio's Sing A Song Of Basie album for ABC, but handled here with a bit more of an edge, and a rougher, more freewheeling groove that's a better fit for the great Basie sound of the late 50s – a great adaptation of the groove by Jon Hendricks, Dave Lambert, and Annie Ross! The record's a nice sometimes-overlooked chapter in the excellent Count Basie run on Roulette – and titles include "Every Tub", "Rusty Dusty Blues", "The King", "Shorty George", and "Let Me See".oss! Titles include "Every Tub", "Rusty Dusty Blues", "The King", "Shorty George", and "Let Me See". CD

A very cool little set, and one that's a lot different than you might expect from the "new romantics" reference in the title! Sure, there's some cuts here that are from the moment when the British scene was cracking the charts with nice haircuts, catchy electro rhythms, and smart lyrics – but the bulk of the set is actually music from the generation before – the kind of work that inspired the new romantics of the early 80s, mixed with cuts from that era, but which are not nearly as well known! The box begins very early in the 70s, and traces bits of prog, glam, and other pre-punk styles – then ends up in more familiar territory at the end, but with a less familiar vibe. Make sense? Probably not – but that's the great thing about a really well-done collection like this – 59 tracks with really great notes – and work from Tubeway Army, The Cure, Zager & Evans, Lounge Lizards, Grace Jones, Fox, Magazine, Spandau Ballet, Heaven 17, Japan, Yellow, Nightmares In Wax, Visage, Landscape, Flying Lizards, Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, Sister Sledge, Lipps Inc, Barry Gray, Glaxo Babies, New Order, Blue Rondo A La Turk, Tom Tom Club, ABC, M, Heat Exchange, John Foxx, The Normal, and many others! CD

A pretty darn big collection of work from the 4 Tops – one that spans both their Motown and ABC years, and which also throws in some surprising bits that we wouldn't have expected! The set's got a few previously unreleased mixes, but overall, all the material has been out before – just never in such a comprehensive or well-done package! There's a total of 48 tracks on the set, and titles include "Seven Lonely Nights", "Ain't No Woman", "Sweet Understanding Love", "A Simple Game (UK single mix)", "River Deep Mountain High (stereo single)" with the Supremes & Four Tops, "MacArthur Park (part 2)", "Just Seven Numbers", "Yesterday's Dreams", "If I Were A Carpenter", "Walk Away Renee (alternate mix)", "Something About You", "Nature Planned It", "HELP", "Catfish", "When She Was My Girl", "Are You Man Enough", "7 Rooms Of Gloom", "Standing In The Shadows Of Love", "Indestructible (7 inch extended)", "In These Changing Times", and "I'll Turn To Stone". CD

An excellent batch of rare material by vocalist Johnny Hartman, and a very strong set of tracks that shows a side of his work that's often ignored! Usually, Hartman gets cited for his slow, moody, syrupy sound – such as that which he used in his classic recordings with Coltrane. However, we really dig the side that's exposed on this CD – the shorter, livelier, more uptempo jazz numbers, done with a swing that you don't normally get with Johnny, and proof that he really was a tremendously versatile singer. There's 17 cuts on here, culled from 2 rare albums on ABC, and they show Hartman in a completely new light. Titles include "Fools Rush In", "Down In The Depths", "Bidin' My Time", "The More I See You", "Once In A While", "That Old Black Magic", and a very groovy version of "Girl Talk", with an excellent monologue by Johnny! CD

BB King at his late 60s best – working here in the company of producers Johnny Pate and Quincy Jones, and serving up a great blend of blues and soul in the process! The set's less a "best of", than a collection of ABC work that doesn't seem to be on the other full albums of the time – mostly produced by Johnny Pate, with those great Chicago soul touches that helped his work with King really cross new boundaries – and finally give BB the kind of full, forceful approach that Bobby Blue Bland had been getting for years. The Quincy Jones cuts are two from the soundtrack to For Love Of Ivy – both pretty groovy, with a socking soul punch – and titles on the full album include "Tired Of Your Jive", "Don't Answer The Door", "The BB Jones", "Paying The Cost To Be The Boss", "All Over Again", "I Don't Want You Cutting Off Your Hair", "Sweet Sixteen", "Meet My Happiness", and "You Put It On Me". CD

A great set of rare early material by Betty Carter – featuring 24 tracks from the early days of her career! The set features one album Betty Recorded for the Peacock label, with hip arrangements by Gigi Gryce and Melba Liston, and one that she recorded for ABC, with more mainstream arrangements by Richard Wess. And although both albums don't have Betty singing in the strident style she adopted in later years, they're still pretty darn great, and are filled with a lot of rich emotion and strong jazz vocalizing. Titles include "Jazz Ain't Nothin But Soul", "I Can't Help It", "By The Bend In The River", "Foul Play", "Babe's Blues", "Mean To Me", "Something Wonderful", and "Make It Last". CD

One of Chris Connor's most obscure albums from the 60s – and one of her nicest too! The record's got a less polished feel than some of Connor's work for Atlantic or ABC – recorded live at the Village Gate, and divided up into "late" and "early" shows that both have a slightly different spirit. Backing is by a small group that includes Mundell Lowe on guitar, Ronnie Ball on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Shaunessy on drums – and the liveness of the recording really comes through, in a way that gets more at the boozy Chris of late nite clubs than you'd hear on most of her studio albums. Titles include "All Or Nothing At All", "Old Devil Moon", "Goodbye", "Only The Lonely", "Black Coffee", "Ten Cents A Dance", and "Only The Lonely". CD

2 early gems from The Impressions – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Impressions – fantastic soul from the Chicago scene of the 60s – the legendary first ABC album by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions! Although the group first broke big on Vee Jay Records, it was at ABC that their genius really took flight – tightening up the harmonies of the earlier singles, and hitting a mode that was a lot more soul than the doo wop of their roots! The sound here is a great bridge between the two eras of the group's career – and a number of the best tracks here are done in a mellow, gentle sort of way that relies heavily on the harmonies – crackling out with beautifully human sounds throughout. Nearly every tune is an original by Curtis Mayfield – and there's not a spot of filler on the album! Titles include "Minstrel & Queen", "Gypsy Woman", "Never Let Me Go", "Sad Sad Girl & Boy", "Little Young Lover", "Can't You See", and "I Need Your Love". Nice cover, too – with Curtis smiling the biggest ol' bucktoothed smile you'll ever see! Never-Ending Impressions is a major winner from The Impressions! Virtually all of their material for ABC was excellent – and this LP is no exception, as it's got loads of original Curtis Mayfield compositions, and plenty of great arrangements by Chicago soul legend Johnny Pate. The group is extremely soulful at this point – and they sound great on just about every cut. Titles include "Ten To One", "I'm So Proud", "Sister Love", "Little Boy Blue", "Girl You Don't Know Me", "I Gotta Keep Movin", and "A Woman Who Loves Me". CD

What a great idea! The classic Motown work of The Jackson 5 is remixed and remade by a host of super-hip producers! The cuts really retain a lot of their Motown soul flavor, and the remixers do an excellent job of pulling out some of the best elements – like guitar riffs, piano lines, and drumbeats – while still preserving the original vocal direction of the songs. This limited package features tracks from both of the older Soul Source remix collections of The Jacksons – with a total of 15 tracks that include "Ben (HF rmx #4)", "Darling Dear (rejuvenated by Muro mix)", "I'll Be There (Small Circle Of Friends rmx)", "It's Great To Be Here (Kenny Dope rmx)", "We're Almost There (DJ Spinna rmx)", "Get It Together (4Hero rmx)", "ABC (Love Stream mix)", "I Want You Back (Kei Kobayashi's routine jazz party mix)", "Ain't No Sunshine (SSY rmx)", "Never Can Say Goodbye (Shinichi Osawa 3000 rmx)", and "The Love You Save (Asakusa Sunaga T Experience SC 01 mix)". CD

An incredible 3CD set from Atomic – the increasingly amazing group of Scandinavian scene firebrands Fredrik Ljungkvist on reeds, Mangus Broo on trumpet, Havard Wiik on piano, Ingegbrigt Haker Flaten on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion – who separately, and as a unit, must be acknowledged as some of the best modern free jazz players on the planet! If you thought that the title Retrograde might indicate a 3CD retrospective, think again. The set features 2 CDs of material captured over 2 days in July of 2007 – and a bonus third disc with the group doing their inimitable thing live at Tula's Jazz Club in Seattle! The studio work is as masterful as ever, always finding a killer groove and impeccable rhythmic dynamics – ratcheting up the intensity without the blunt force trauma that others in the free jazz underground bring on, balanced by spare moments and strains of the 60s heroes of avant garde jazz lurking in the shadows. Really wonderful stuff from players we love and respect more with each successive project! Titles include "Db Gestalt", "Retrograde", "Invisible Cities", "Correspondence", "Sweet Ebony", "King Kolax", "Invisible Cities II", "Papa", "Don Don", "Swedish Oklahoma" and more. The live disc has us kicking ourselves for not catching one of the group's Chicago shows, and the titles include "Crux", "Db Gestalt", "Painbody", "ABC 101b" and more. CD