Music from Soundscape, Count Basic, Diferenz, Gota, Reminiscence Quartet, Slowly, Reminiscence Quartet, Disjam & Exodus Quartet. CD

Sarah Vaughan gets some backing from Count Basie – making for a record that's one of her jazziest and swinging of the time! As with other Basie-related vocal sessions from the early 60s, this one has a soulful edge and a nice little bounce – one that makes for a more solid approach that gets Sarah's jazz vocals firmly back on track, and away from some of the more overly-produced ballad albums of the time. We like those records too – but on a record like this, she really gets back to basics! Titles include "Perdido", "You Turned The Tables On Me", "Mean To Me", "Alone", "Little Man", and "The Gentleman Is A Dope" – plus 2 bonus tracks. CD

All the great early albums from Creation Rebel – plus their excellent comeback too! The set begins with Dub From Creation – not just the debut album from Creation Rebel, but also a set that marks the first studio work from the young Adrian Sherwood – part of the long On-U Sound legacy to come, and a wealth of other wonderful music! There's a spareness here that's great – maybe a bit less dark than later Sherwood projects, but no less stark – with melodica and keyboards weaving nicely amidst the dubby rhythms! Titles include "Basic Principals", "Dub Fusion", "Liberation", "Rising Star", "Vision Of Creation", and "Creation In A Iration". Next is Close Encounters Of The Third World – an early part of the On-U Sound legacy, even if the set wasn't issued on the label – a key effort by Creation Rebel that features recording work done both in London and Kingston, layered together in a beautifully dubby way! The sound here is definitely underground – full of message-oriented lyrics from Crucial Tony, who sings in a style that definitely earns him his name – with great melodica and organ flowing through the mix next to Lizard's bass – topped with added horn work from The Arabs in all the right spots! The production is superb – flat on the drums, wide on the sides, which makes for a really wonderful groove – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Conspiring", "Creation Fever", "Natty Conscience Free", and "Joyful Noise". Rebel Vibrations features early production genius from Adrian Sherwood – and a record that sets the tone for all the On-U Sound genius to come! The set's a huge step forward from even the previous excellent Creation Rebel album – as the way the sounds are layered together is incredible – almost modes learned from post-punk production, but used to deliver a pure, righteous dub album – one that drops out all the vocals, and allows you to concentrate even more on the totally wicked instrumentation! The set features stunning drums from Style Scott, heady bass from Lizard, and all sorts of very cool keyboard work from Clifton Morrison – used in these ways that float about like a swarm of sounds, especially when mixed with the melodica of Doctor Pablo. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Diverse Doctor", "Hunger & Strife", "Jungle Affair", "Rebel Vibration", "Black Lion Dub", and "Mountain Melody". Starship Africa is a brilliant Creation Rebel effort for On-U Sound from the dawn of the 80s – landing in the futuristic dub spacecraft that is their Starship Africa – percussion heavy and spaced out ingenuity from Adrian Sherwood & co! Tripped, echoey atmospherics that's cast as a soundtrack to movie that doesn't exist, the music is forward thinking, boundary busting dubby grooves exists out of time and sounds great to this day. Includes "Starship Africa" (Sections 1-5) and "Space Movement" (Sections 1-4). On Psychotic Jonkanoo, Crucial Tony is back in the mix for this righteous early 80s album from Creation Rebel – a set that has Adrian Sherwood only furthering his production genius as he layers together stunning instrumental work from the group! The presence of the vocals has the instrumentation slightly back in the mix – but there's still a great run of rhythms throughout, all driven by the mighty heady basslines of Lizard Logan! There's less keyboards than before, but still some nice electronic bits all over the place – and titles include "The Dope", "African Space", "Threat To Creation", "Highest Degree", "Mother Don't Cry", and "Drum Talk". From 2023, Hostile Environment is the first album in many years from this legendary studio project from On-U Sound and Adrian Sherwood – and one that makes us feel as if the passage of decades hasn't happened at all! Sherwood's production is still wonderful – and, if anything, maybe less showy, or more soulful, or less moody – just something that seems to let the work of the group come through with energy that's wonderfully warm and organic, while still resonating with plenty of touches that will make longtime label fans proud! Vocals are shared between Charlie Eskimo Fox and Mr Magoo, and the set also features guest appearances from Prince Far I and Daddy Freddy – on titles that include "That's More Like It" "Jubilee Clock", "Swiftly", "Stonebridge Warrior", "Crown Hill Road", "The People's Sound", and "Whatever It Takes". CD

A pair of later Maze albums – back to back in a single set, and with bonus tracks too! First up is Silky Soul – a late 80s album, but one that has the smooth soul genius very much at the top of his game! Frankie's work from the 70s inspired countless imitators in the next decade – but after so many other male singers trying to cop his game, Beverly can still do it better than the rest – with this easygoing, effortless style that's never commercial or cheesy – and which continues to raise the bar for sophisticated soul! Grooves are mostly in that perfect midtempo stepping style that seems to work best for Frankie – and the overall instrumentation and production are far more timeless than some of the other big records of the period – with a style that places the set very strongly in the best Maze tradition. Titles include "Can't Get Over You", "Silky Soul", "Just Us", "Love's On The Run", "Mandela", and "Songs Of Love". CD features bonus tracks – "Africa", "Mandela (radio edit)", and "Love's On The Run (rmx)". Next up is Back To Basics – a really well-titled set from Frankie Beverly & Maze – as the album takes the group right back to the mellow-stepping sound that first made them great back in the 70s! Production's a bit more updated, but still very laidback – and there's a smoothly-grooving glow to the record we totally love – a perfect format for Frankie's always-amazing vocals, updated just slightly for the 90s. The production values are never too polished, and the songwriting is still great – on titles that include "Love Is", "the Morning After", "Laid Back Girl", 'What Goes Up", "In Time", "All Night Long", "Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", and "Twilight". CD features bonus tracks – "Laid Back Girl (edit)", "What Goes Up (radio)", and "What Goes Up (smooth mix)". CD

Merle Haggard's criminally underrated second album for Anti- – finding him looking back to the songbook of Lefty Frizzell and other classic honky tonk laments with a master's touch – essential for Hag fans or anyone ready to be schooled in true, real deal, hokum free country music. The production is barely a production at all – Hag set his band up in a cabin on his property and basically lets it all play out live and direct, a God given gift to those of us who loved the songs he recorded in the 80s and early 90s, but couldn't deal with the glossy over-production – and his voice sounds better than it has in years. Includes the excellent originals "More Than My Old Guitar" and "Honky Tonk Mama", Lefty's classics "Always Late (With Your Kisses)", "If You've Got The Money (I've Got The Time)", "My Baby's Just Like Money" and "I Want To Be With You Always", plus Hank Sr's "Honky Tonkin". If only this thing sold well enough for Anti- to bankroll Vol 2, we coulda died happy. CD

Mylon LeFevre's got a long legacy in the world of spiritual music – but this set is one of a pair of totally sweet secular records done for Warner Brothers in the late 70s – an album that really makes great use of LeFevre's wonderful vocals, which had been honed in both gospel and rock groups for many years before the sessions! Production is by Jerry Crutchfield, who does a great job of mixing occasional roots elements with warmer AOR styles – yet never in a way that's too polished, or too commercial at all – really leaving the sound as one of those secret and overlooked 70s dates for a larger label. Titles include "Country John", "Let's Get Together", "Goodbye Miss Sadness", "Love As One", "Understand It", "Basic Lady", and a nice countryfied take on "Girl From The North Country". CD

A fantastic introduction to one of the most confusing British styles of the 70s – the huge pub rock moment that preceded punk, and which offered up a stripped-down approach to the music that helped set the scene for plenty of later changes to come! The name is a bit tricky to explain – much of these bands did play pubs and smaller venues, but they also represented a shift amidst the rising tide of arena rock and overblown concept albums – artists who were maybe getting back to basics with tight, sharp songcraft, and the kind of hooks that first made rock and roll so great in the first place – but also served up with all the sense of variety that had crept into the music from the start! There are a few big names that have always been associated with pub rock – but this set is the first we've seen to really showcase the true scope of the music – with 71 tracks in a nice slipcase with detailed notes - work by Chris Spedding, Moon, Legend, Wild Angels, Dr Feelgood, Flip City, Byzantium, Razorbacks, Chaz & Dave, Fox, Count Bishops, Mott The Hoople, Ducks Deluxe, Kiburn & The High Roads, National Flag, Jona Lewie, Roogalator, Deep Feeling, Status Quo, Steve Ellis, STray, The Pirats, Squeeze, Merton Parkas, Inmates, Ian Gomm, and many others! CD

Wonderful work from Tania Maria – a singer who's completely back on track these days, and really making classic work again! The format here is simple, and a return to the basics of Tania's early days – keyboards, bass, and percussion mostly in the backings, with Tania singing in that loving lyrical voice that no other singer has ever been able to match (despite legions of countless imitators!) The tunes include a lot of original numbers – really well crafted Brazilian jazz tracks that have a sound that's both light and soulful at the same time – and titles include "Sangria", "Amei Demais", "It's Only Love", "Encanto Meu", "Sebastina", "Ta Tudo Certo", and "Florzinha". CD

All 3 Move albums remastered and collected in 1 massive set! This anthology includes basically everything you could ever want by these psychedelic pop maestros – including their self-titled 1st LP, Shazam, Looking On, singles, un-issued tracks, as well as the 1st ever CD version of the live Something Else EP – showcasing each phase of the group's influential career. Essentially the brainchild of songwriter/lead guitarist Roy Wood, the Move were arguably one of the best and most important British groups of the late 60s to never make a dent on the American charts, combining shimmering psych-pop with a harder edge and a sometimes morbid lyrical twist (as evident on the first 2 discs). The 3rd CD contains the band's final album and 1st to feature a new member – guitarist Jeff Lynne (formerly of the Idle Race and future of Electric Light Orchestra) – whose cheerier pop notions proved an interesting, if not frustrating counterpoint to Wood's darker, ironic sensibilities. Wood and Lynne's growing fascination with orchestral rock would cause them to disband the Move in 1972 and form ELO – opening up a new chapter in the history of British rock, but this anthology contains a whopping 54 tracks including; "I Can Hear The Grass Grow", "Lemon Tree", Walk Upon The Water", "Flowers In The Rain", "Fire Brigade", from The Move, "Blackberry Way", "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited", and "Beautiful Daughter" from Shazam, and "Brontosaurus", "Looking On", and "Feel Too Good" from Looking On – Essential stuff! CD

A great back-to-basics solo album from the legendary David Axelrod – cut in the mid 70s for Fantasy Records, after higher-concept projects like The Auction and Messiah! This set gets right to the core – and focuses on the funk currents that were always part of Axelrod's larger arrangements, but which sometimes never got pulled to the forefront as strongly – and the approach is almost like some of the funky jazz albums that were issued by Fantasy/Prestige Records at the time – especially those that Axelrod produced for Cannonball Adderley. The whole thing has that great Axelrod sense of composition, with lots of space, and lots of spare cold bits that are nice nice nice for sample cuts – and titles include the classic track "Everything Counts", plus "Get Up Off Your Knees", "My Family", and "Mucho Chupar". CD