A trio of albums from one of the most unique groups on the west coast scene! First up is Where's The Money – a classic live album from Dan Hicks and this mighty cool west coast combo – a set that's all stripped-down, and provides a great showcase for their amazing vocal and acoustic instrumental interplay! Dan's got two two female singers along for the performance – Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – both of whom do way more than provide backup, as they work with plenty of percussion, and harmonize along with Dan's lead on most tracks – in that cool blend of acoustic roots and jazzy inflections that made the group so unique. The lineup also includes violin, mandolin, and bass – plus guitar from Dan – on titles that include "News From Up The Street", "Shorty Falls In Love", "The Buzzard Was Their Friend", "Is This My Happy Home", "Dig A Little Deeper", "Reelin Down", and "Caught In The Rain". Striking It Rich features the great Dan Hicks at the height of his powers – working in a sublime acoustic mode that weaves together strands of gypsy swing, American roots, harmony vocals, and plenty more too – all in a mode that's lean and timeless, and which was one of the hipper new sounds on the west coast scene of his generation! Dan works with great support from vocalists Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – alongside instrumentation that includes guitar, bass, violin, mandolin, and plenty of percussion – all wrapped up with a sublime sound that has all the elements resonating together wonderfully! Titles include a great remake of his earlier gem "I Scare Myself" – plus "You Got To Believe", "O'Reilly At The Bar", "Moody Richard", "The Laughing Song", "Canned Music", "Skippy's Farewell", "Fujiyama", "Woe The Luck", and "I'm An Old Cowhand". Last Train To Hicksville is completely charming work from the great Dan Hicks – one of the few cats who could make us like music like this so much! Dan sings and plays rhythm guitar – and the group also features vocals from Maryann Price and Naomi Eisenberg – that lovely pair whose harmonies with Hicks really helped the group find their sound! As before, instrumentation is all acoustic, but used in these jazzy ways that are very unique – not folk, not string band, nor swing – but something very unique, and a real breath of fresh air in the 70s scene! Titles include "Long Come A Viper", "It's Not My Time To Go", "My Old Timey Baby", "Lonely Madman", "Cowboy's Dream No 19", and "Payday Blues". CD

A stone killer from funky flute player Bobbi Humphrey – one of her early albums for Blue Note Records, and a set that's a perfect summation of the best sides of her talents! The album's got a slightly different feel than Bobbi's work with Larry Mizell – yet still sports a similar approach that blends her amazingly spiritual flute lines with rich larger backings – in this case arranged by Horace Ott, Alphonse Mouzon, and Wade Marcus, in a sublime blend of electric jazz and soaring strings – all with a feel that's almost like some lost blacksploitation soundtrack! Given the lady's strength on her instrument, and her sharp sound on her solos, the record's got a focus and righteousness that takes it way past most contemporary efforts of this nature – a bold testament to the qualities that have made Bobbi one of our favorite players on flute for many many years. The set also features some wonderful Fender Rhodes – played both by Harry Whitaker and Paul Griffin – plus bass from Wilbur Bascomb, and heavy drums from Alphonse Mouzon. Titles include "Love Theme From Fuzz", "Nubian Lady", "Lonely Town Lonely Street", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", Is This All", "I Love Every Little Thing About You", "El Mundo De Maravilas", and a great version of Mouzon's "Virtue". CD

Mindblowing work by The Impressions – a double-length set that's totally great! First up is the soundtrack for the Fred Williamson/Jim Brown/Jim Kelly action flick Three The Hard Way – not only a great soundtrack, but one of the best 70s albums by The Impressions! The set was written, arranged, and produced by the Curtom super-team of Rich Tufo and Lowrell Simon – and it's got a super-dope feel that reminds us of the work by Natural Four from the same time, with sweet harmonies over funky backings, in a hip 70s groove that's totally great! All cuts are vocal, but they have plenty of funky moments – and in a way, the whole album's as great as the lead track, which is normally the best one in a blacksploitation soundtrack like this. In other words, if you dig hit soundtrack theme songs like "Across 110th Street" or "Theme from Cleopatra Jones", you'll dig this entire album! Tracks include the great "Having A Ball", plus "Make A Resolution", "Something's Mighty Mighty Wrong", and "Three The Hard Way (Chase & Theme)". First Impressions is hardly the first album by The Impressions, despite the title – but a wonderful batch of modern soul tunes that proves that the group could groove long after Curtis Mayfield was gone! As with other Curtom gems from the 70s, the album has the group working with some really top-shelf help in the studio – production from Ed Townsend, who does a really great job of making the harmonies sparkle with a rich quality that really stands out – a mode that returns the group to the mellow brilliance of their 60s recordings, but still keeps some of the maturity they picked up along the way. Townsend also wrote most of the tracks on the set, with a confident male soul style that's not unlike the best love-heavy territory that Marvin Gaye was exploring at the time – a perfect fit for the newly-refined vocals of the mid 70s quartet lineup that included original members Sam Gooden and Fred Cash, plus Ralph Johnson and Reggie Toran. Titles include the sublime "Groove", which has a nice two-step feel, and "Sooner Or Later", which is a nice mellow cut with an undercurrent of funk – and other tracks include "Old Before My Time", "Same Thing It Took", "I'm So Glad", and "How High Is High". CD

Valerie June's been bubbling under for almost a decade – recording work with other artists, doing a variety of projects, and finally getting her chance to shine in the spotlight with her previous debut – yet it may well be this well-crafted second album that finally puts the singer over the top! Valerie's completely her own woman here – not beholden to any sort of easy tags or cliches – including the "rootsy soul" or "folksy diva" tags that we heard batted around before – and instead, almost inventing her own genre for the record – which has a vibe that makes us guess that it's going to be the start of a huge legacy of fame to come for June. Her voice is timeless, the instrumentation is nicely understated, and the production is very easygoing – yet the whole thing comes across with a crispily compelling sound that could appeal to both hipsters and their more mainstream friends. That might sound like a dig, but it's not – just our way of illustrating the soon-to-be universal appeal of the singer! Titles include "The Front Door", "Astral Plane", "Long Lonely Road", "Just IN Time", "Slip Slide On By", "Two Hearts", and "Got Soul". CD

Maybe not the hypest record of the 80s, but a set that's pretty darn great overall – and which really helped find a way to reintroduce the vibe of the early street party scene back into the feel of hip hop on wax! Kid and Play aren't out to change the world with their politics or set a new agenda for the music – but working with great Herby Luv Bug production, they keep things nice and lively throughout – at a level that really fits with some of the best Select Records releases that made the world of hip hop pretty darn fresh at the time! The whole thing's an instant party throughout – with cuts that include "Brother Man Get Hip", "Soul Man", "Damn That DJ", "2Hype", "Can You Dig That", "Last Night", "Do The Kid N Play Kick Step", and the classic "Do This My Way" – a mini-production masterpiece on its own! LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking set from Yusef Lateef – one that mixes together a number of different soul jazz styles! In a way, Atlantic records tried to handle Yusef Lateef in the same way they did Roland Kirk – by creating recordings that either let him express himself strongly as an arch-modernist, or those that focused on his solo talents in material that was a bit more funky and soulful. This album's got a bit of both – as side one has Yusef playing with slightly electric groups on short tracks that feature vocal backings by the Sweet Inspirations, and side two features Yusef playing with the Cologne Radio Orchestra, conducted by William Fischer, on an extended work called "The Symphonic Blues Suite". We dig the shorter tracks better, and those titles include "Nocturne", "Buddy & Lou", and "Down In Atlanta". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

A quadruple-header from Ramsey Lewis – four albums from his great 70s electric period on Columbia Records! First up is Funky Serenity – sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams". Golden Hits isn't a "best of", but instead has Ramsey and his funky mid 70s trio with Morris Jennings and Cleveland Eaton revisiting some of his best loved material from the Cadet years, but with the groovy Rhodes and wah wah sound that we dig so much about his CBS recordings. Unlike some of the other records from this period, the group's nice and stripped down, just the electric piano, bass and drums, so the groove's nice and wide open, Ramsey and company popping along with the sanctified soulful vibe of his 60s work, but updating their sound with some nice electric touches. 9 numbers in all: "Hang On Sloopy", "Blues For The Night Owl", "Hi-Heel Sneakers", "Carmen", "Delilah", "Wade In The Water", "Slippin' Into Darkness", "Somethin' You Got", and "The In Crowd". Solar Wind was cut smack dab in the middle of Ramsey's glory days at Columbia Records – with great production help and work on bass from the mighty Cleveland Eaton! The style is nice and lean, with just some occasional fuller touches – and Ramsey plays plenty of Fender Rhodes, in addition to bits of Arp and moog too – in a setting that's mostly trio, with a few guest players stepping into the mix from track to track! There's a nice degree of fuzz at points, thanks to added help from Steve Cropper – and titles include a great funky version of "Summer Breeze", plus "Solar Wind", "Come Down In Time", "Love for A Day", "Hummingbird", "Jamaican Marketplace", and "Sweet & Tender You". Sun Goddess is one of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7 minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through! CD

A great Memphis sound from the second greatest instrumental group on Stax next to Booker T & The MGs – heard here on a massive record that really pushes The Mar-Keys to the next level! On previous records, the combo always had a sound that was a bit brighter than Booker and his group – still soul, but not nearly as sharp. Yet this time around, they really dig deep – and have a way of smoking out plenty of the best soulful elements associated with the Stax Records sound – that great way with a heavy-stepping groove, instrumentation that's tight yet never slick, and solo moments that burst out and really give the tunes a hell of a lot of personality! The rhythm jumps out of the grooves on numbers like "Honey Pot", "Grab This Thing" and "Philly Dog", and the album winds up with a James Brown medley that's pretty darn swingin too. CD

A great Memphis sound from the second greatest instrumental group on Stax next to Booker T & The MGs – heard here on a massive record that really pushes The Mar-Keys to the next level! On previous records, the combo always had a sound that was a bit brighter than Booker and his group – still soul, but not nearly as sharp. Yet this time around, they really dig deep – and have a way of smoking out plenty of the best soulful elements associated with the Stax Records sound – that great way with a heavy-stepping groove, instrumentation that's tight yet never slick, and solo moments that burst out and really give the tunes a hell of a lot of personality! The rhythm jumps out of the grooves on numbers like "Honey Pot", "Grab This Thing" and "Philly Dog", and the album winds up with a James Brown medley that's pretty darn swingin too. LP, Vinyl record album

An early gem from Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto – easily one of the greatest players on the Japanese scene of the postwar years, and a tenorist who we might easily compare to the great Hank Mobley! This album's got the same sort of soulful subtlety of Mobley's classic Soul Station – an easygoing blend of strong tenor leads, piano, bass, and drums – plus a bit of guitar that mostly sits back in the rhythms and complicates them slightly. Hidehiko's tone is wonderful – bold, strong, and deep, but extremely personal too – very much at home with the familiar standards of the set, yet not in a way that has him sleepwalking through them. Titles and players are all in Japanese, so we can't tell you much more – but take it from us, this album's a cooker, especially if you dig the laidback Blue Note work of Hank Mobley or Ike Quebec! CD

Some of the best blue-eyed soul of the 70s – material by a really wonderful group with raspy soul leads and full, soaring harmonies! The Mob had a groove that was partly influenced by crossover soul of the late 60s, but which also had a touch of the jazz/rock modes of their generation – tight horns that swing along with the rhythms wonderfully – all in a way that almost links the group to some of the southern party circuit combos, like The Swinging Medallions or Tempests. Lead vocalist Al Herrero has a totally great way of putting over a tune – a style that never tries too hard, and which always keeps things right on the edge without going over the top. This approach is heard especially well on the classic "I Dig Everything About You", but the whole album's great too – overflowing with fresh original tracks that include "Maybe I'll Find A Way", "Lost", "Give It To Me", "Love's Got A Hold On Me", and "For A Little While". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key classics from the hardbop years of Blue Note – the kind of album that really set the label apart from the rest at the time! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing – in a way that makes for some of Mobley's best solos on record! The tracks here are all relatively basic in construction, but this territory allows all players to really relax and open up – especially Mobley, who really dominates the proceedings with some well-blown lines on tenor. Blakey's work is great too – nicely restrained, and the date marks one of his last sessions ever as a sideman. Titles include "Soul Station", "Split Feelin's", "Dig Dis", and "This I Dig Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key classics from the hardbop years of Blue Note – the kind of album that really set the label apart from the rest at the time! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing – in a way that makes for some of Mobley's best solos on record! The tracks here are all relatively basic in construction, but this territory allows all players to really relax and open up – especially Mobley, who really dominates the proceedings with some well-blown lines on tenor. Blakey's work is great too – nicely restrained, and the date marks one of his last sessions ever as a sideman. Titles include "Soul Station", "Split Feelin's", "Dig Dis", and "This I Dig Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key classics from the hardbop years of Blue Note – the kind of album that really set the label apart from the rest at the time! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing – in a way that makes for some of Mobley's best solos on record! The tracks here are all relatively basic in construction, but this territory allows all players to really relax and open up – especially Mobley, who really dominates the proceedings with some well-blown lines on tenor. Blakey's work is great too – nicely restrained, and the date marks one of his last sessions ever as a sideman. Titles include "Soul Station", "Split Feelin's", "Dig Dis", and "This I Dig Of You". CD

One of the key classics from the hardbop years of Blue Note – the kind of album that really set the label apart from the rest at the time! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing – in a way that makes for some of Mobley's best solos on record! The tracks here are all relatively basic in construction, but this territory allows all players to really relax and open up – especially Mobley, who really dominates the proceedings with some well-blown lines on tenor. Blakey's work is great too – nicely restrained, and the date marks one of his last sessions ever as a sideman. Titles include "Soul Station", "Split Feelin's", "Dig Dis", and "This I Dig Of You". CD

One of the key classics from the hardbop years of Blue Note – the kind of album that really set the label apart from the rest at the time! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing – in a way that makes for some of Mobley's best solos on record! The tracks here are all relatively basic in construction, but this territory allows all players to really relax and open up – especially Mobley, who really dominates the proceedings with some well-blown lines on tenor. Blakey's work is great too – nicely restrained, and the date marks one of his last sessions ever as a sideman. Titles include "Soul Station", "Split Feelin's", "Dig Dis", and "This I Dig Of You". CD

One of the key classics from the hardbop years of Blue Note – the kind of album that really set the label apart from the rest at the time! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing – in a way that makes for some of Mobley's best solos on record! The tracks here are all relatively basic in construction, but this territory allows all players to really relax and open up – especially Mobley, who really dominates the proceedings with some well-blown lines on tenor. Blakey's work is great too – nicely restrained, and the date marks one of his last sessions ever as a sideman. Titles include "Soul Station", "Split Feelin's", "Dig Dis", and "This I Dig Of You". CD

One of the key classics from the hardbop years of Blue Note – the kind of album that really set the label apart from the rest at the time! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing – in a way that makes for some of Mobley's best solos on record! The tracks here are all relatively basic in construction, but this territory allows all players to really relax and open up – especially Mobley, who really dominates the proceedings with some well-blown lines on tenor. Blakey's work is great too – nicely restrained, and the date marks one of his last sessions ever as a sideman. Titles include "Soul Station", "Split Feelin's", "Dig Dis", and "This I Dig Of You". CD

A sublime lost group soul album – featuring The Moods, who we presume to be from St Louis (although we're working on second-hand information, so we're not sure.) The group have a harmony style that's a bit like Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – but with rougher touches, and none of the disco mode of that group's later work – and on this set, they work their way through some wonderful numbers that groove at a midtempo pace, moving in smooth soul modes with electric piano and tenor behind the group's wonderful vocals. A real gem if you dig harmony ensembles – with an approach that's kind of east coast early 70s indie, but which has a tightness that makes us wonder why these guys didn't hit bigger! Titles include "Funk It Out", "Without Her", "Live Today", "Grooving When We Meet", "This Magic", and "You Came Into My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime lost group soul album – featuring The Moods, who we presume to be from St Louis (although we're working on second-hand information, so we're not sure!) The group have a harmony style that's a bit like Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – but with rougher touches, and none of the disco mode of that group's later work – and on this set, they work their way through some wonderful numbers that groove at a midtempo pace, moving in smooth soul modes with electric piano and tenor behind the group's wonderful vocals. A real gem if you dig harmony ensembles – with an approach that's kind of east coast early 70s indie, but which has a tightness that makes us wonder why these guys didn't hit bigger! Titles include "Funk It Out", "Without Her", "Live Today", "Grooving When We Meet", "This Magic", and "You Came Into My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Japanese trumpeter Shunzo Ohno gave us some great records in the 70s – and this later date for the Three Blind Mice label is equally great, but in a very different sort of way! Here, Ohno's working with a group of American players, in a nicely burning sort of way – work from a young Steve Wilson on alto, Renee Rosnes on piano, James Genus on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums – all musicians you'll know well if you dig American jazz from the period, and who will give you a great idea of the rock-solid approach of the set! Ray Spiegel adds in tablas on one track – and titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Maya", "On Going", "First Step", and "He Said So". CD

The title gets it perfectly right on this sweet little set – as the grooves are raw and stripped down – often just to the core elements of Afro Funk! The music may be the most hard-hitting we've ever heard from this legendary combo – and it's served up beautifully in this well-selected compilation, right down to the detailed notes on the group and their long journey in sound! There's a core groove here that goes way beyond the boundaries of nation or culture – and which is plenty appealing to ears that have only ever been trained on American funk – and even more so on those who dig the great African sounds of the 70s. Plenty of heavy drums and ultra-cool guitar – and titles include "Adjro Mi", "A O O Ida", "Pourquoi Pas", "Ecoute Ma Melodie", "Min We Tun So", "Ai Gabani", and "Aku We Non Houme". CD

Sweet bass-heavy funk from this overseas combo – a Polish group, but one who clearly dig the Ohio funk style that surged up at the end of the 70s, as well as the tighter funky grooves of Prince during the following decade! The ensemble have a wonderfully sharp vibe, and the lyrics snake around the rhythms in this really great way – completely seductive, and with a punch that really sends the whole thing over the top – especially as many cuts have more than one singer, working together with the sharpness of the instrumentalists in the group! Titles include "Fusion", "Lover's Disappearance", "My Mind", "The Line", "Hole", "Morphin", "No Codes", and "Cominbackdown". LP, Vinyl record album

Insane! This is a totally weird album of messed-up funky grooves, played by the enigmatic Pool-Pah rock group, with arrangements by Rupert Holmes (of "Pina Colada" fame!) The music is a weird mix of spare moogy instrumentals and flanged-out vocal tracks designed to accompany a strange film called The Flasher – and although the general concept of the film and music seem incredibly stupid, the overall sound is pretty darn great! The album includes the monster slow-moving break track "Sour Soul", plus other nice funky and moogy tracks, like "Flight", "Two Way Road", and "Flasher Theme". Incredibly obscure, and the kind of rare break record you dig for for years! LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing collection of work from Jackie Ross – a singer who was arguably the greatest female soul artist in Chicago during the 60s! Jackie's got a really wonderful approach – sweet on top, but with a hard punch below – very much at the best level of some of Motown's heavyweights of the same period – but not nearly as well-known! That aspect makes this set a really fresh discovery – not just Jackie's few hits, but lots of other rare album and single material too – including a few unreleased tracks that really round out the collection wonderfully. And as you'd guess from Ace/Kent, the packaging and presentation is wonderful – not just crystal-clear quality to the recordings, but really rich notes and images that make the whole thing sparkle way more than any previous collection of Ross' work for Chess. Titles include "Everything But Love", "Selfish One", "Misty", "Wasting Time", "You Really Know How To Hurt A Girl", "Honey Dear", "My Square", "Stick To One", "Dynamite Lovin", "Take Me For A Little While", "I Dig His Style", "Trust In Me", "It's Going All The Way", "Jerk & Twine", "I've Got The Skill", and "Haste Makes Waste". CD

Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/musician/producer/songwriter had a huge role in the careers of Chicago contemporaries like Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth Wind & Fire! This set brings together recordings that Stepney made on his own, often in his home studio – many of which are songs that never saw the light of day on some of his bigger-name projects, next to others that feature melodies you might recognize, but done in these sweet jazzy instrumentals that are totally great! Most of the set features Charles on a variety of keyboards Rhodes, piano, and even some cool moogy bits – plus some vibes from time to time – often set to spare early electric drum machine rhythms – in a style that makes you feel like you've stumbled upon Timmy Thomas doing an all instrumental jam session in the early 70s. Given that Stepney first got his start as a jazz musician – playing piano and vibes on some great early 60s sessions – the keyboard work is superb, and the record stands as a completely different testament to his genius – with titles that include "Funky Sci Fi", "Gotta Dig It To Dig It", "Daddy's Diddies", "Rubie Charles", "Notes From Dad", "Black Bold", "Gimme Some Sugar", "No Credit For This", "Imagination", "Look B4U Leap", "Mini Mugg", "Denim Groove", and "That's The Way Of The World". CD

Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/musician/producer/songwriter had a huge role in the careers of Chicago contemporaries like Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth Wind & Fire! This set brings together recordings that Stepney made on his own, often in his home studio – many of which are songs that never saw the light of day on some of his bigger-name projects, next to others that feature melodies you might recognize, but done in these sweet jazzy instrumentals that are totally great! Most of the set features Charles on a variety of keyboards Rhodes, piano, and even some cool moogy bits – plus some vibes from time to time – often set to spare early electric drum machine rhythms – in a style that makes you feel like you've stumbled upon Timmy Thomas doing an all instrumental jam session in the early 70s. Given that Stepney first got his start as a jazz musician – playing piano and vibes on some great early 60s sessions – the keyboard work is superb, and the record stands as a completely different testament to his genius – with titles that include "Funky Sci Fi", "Gotta Dig It To Dig It", "Daddy's Diddies", "Rubie Charles", "Notes From Dad", "Black Bold", "Gimme Some Sugar", "No Credit For This", "Imagination", "Look B4U Leap", "Mini Mugg", "Denim Groove", and "That's The Way Of The World". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/musician/producer/songwriter had a huge role in the careers of Chicago contemporaries like Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth Wind & Fire! This set brings together recordings that Stepney made on his own, often in his home studio – many of which are songs that never saw the light of day on some of his bigger-name projects, next to others that feature melodies you might recognize, but done in these sweet jazzy instrumentals that are totally great! Most of the set features Charles on a variety of keyboards Rhodes, piano, and even some cool moogy bits – plus some vibes from time to time – often set to spare early electric drum machine rhythms – in a style that makes you feel like you've stumbled upon Timmy Thomas doing an all instrumental jam session in the early 70s. Given that Stepney first got his start as a jazz musician – playing piano and vibes on some great early 60s sessions – the keyboard work is superb, and the record stands as a completely different testament to his genius – with titles that include "Funky Sci Fi", "Gotta Dig It To Dig It", "Daddy's Diddies", "Rubie Charles", "Notes From Dad", "Black Bold", "Gimme Some Sugar", "No Credit For This", "Imagination", "Look B4U Leap", "Mini Mugg", "Denim Groove", and "That's The Way Of The World". LP, Vinyl record album

By this point in his career, Sonny hardly needed a tune up in his style – but the album's a great one from his post-Prestige years, and a real back-to-basics effort that recalls the genius of his work on Roost! The format is straight and simple – Stitt's tenor and alto fronting a quartet that includes Barry Harris, Sam Jones, and Alan Dawson – all playing in a way that puts Sonny in command on all tracks, blowing with an amazing tone that makes us want to throw away all his funk, organ, and electric outings, and just concentrate on these straight acoustic sides. Stitt has a way of blowing the reed like he's got his whole mouth moving into the sax – an earthy, human, and personal feel that first came out strongly in his work during the late 50s, but which has grown even more by this point – even if you couldn't hear the development on other sets. And given our love of funk and electric sides, we're honestly surprised we find ourselves championing a record like this from the early 70s – but it's a great one, and not to be missed if you remotely dig Stitt! Titles include "Tune Up", "Idaho", "Just Friends", "Groovin High", and "Blues For Prez & Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

Early 70s magic from Sonny Stitt – two albums recorded in 1972 for the Cobblestone label! First up is Tune Up – a great one from Stitt's post-Prestige years, and a real back-to-basics effort that recalls the genius of his work on Roost! The format is straight and simple – Stitt's tenor and alto fronting a quartet that includes Barry Harris, Sam Jones, and Alan Dawson – all playing in a way that puts Sonny in command on all tracks, blowing with an amazing tone that makes us want to throw away all his funk, organ, and electric outings, and just concentrate on these straight acoustic sides. Stitt has a way of blowing the reed like he's got his whole mouth moving into the sax – an earthy, human, and personal feel that first came out strongly in his work during the late 50s, but which has grown even more by this point – even if you couldn't hear the development on other sets. And given our love of funk and electric sides, we're honestly surprised we find ourselves championing a record like this from the early 70s – but it's a great one, and not to be missed if you remotely dig Stitt! Titles include "Tune Up", "Idaho", "Just Friends", "Groovin High", and "Blues For Prez & Bird". Constellation is all bop and all soul all the way through, and recorded with a tight quartet that features Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums! The style's a bit like Sonny's work of the late 50s, but there's also a fluidity to the rhythm section that makes it a bit different too – a sound that's warm, open, and soulful – creating a space into which Stitt settles nicely and blows like mad. There's no gimmicks at all, just solid classic jazz skills – and titles include "Casbah", "Constellation", "By Accident", "Webb City", and "Topsy". CD

An Afro Funk band, but one with a difference – a difference that's maybe a bit hard to put in words, but which is definitely there when you dig their grooves! These guys have all the familiar elements – percussion, guitars, horns, and keyboards – but they've got a rhythmic approach that's a bit unusual, and which takes things in a way that's sometimes a bit more laidback than other groups of this nature – sometimes almost as if they're borrowing a bit of East African styles to weave into a Nigerian-inspired music. The keyboards are especially nice, and almost feel like Greg Foat's cooked up an Afro Funk project – and titles include "Last Leap", "Control Per Capita", "Bad Dog", "Xoomba", and "Yetunde" – plus remixes "Bad Dog (Tigerbalm rmx)" and "Last Leap (Taj rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

The sweet image really gets at the wonderful sound of this record – a Japanese pop gem from the end of the 60s, and one that seems to mix together elements of bossa nova and European grooves – all in this way that really fits the way that the male and female vocals come together! The singers unite at points, separate at others – and they sound wonderfully dreamy amidst the well-penned arrangements that make the album a treasure throughout – especially if you dig innocent soft pop, ala Free Design! Lyrics are all in Japanese – and songs translate as "Beautiful Misunderstanding", "A Wonderful Bus Trip", "Suddenly One Day", "Lover's Talk", and "Beautiful Garden In My Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing album of electric piano tracks! Don Walker was a funky pianist from Chicago who worked briefly with the Young-Holt Unlimited group – and who cut a rare few albums of his own for the Brunswick label. This second solo album features some excellent Fender Rhodes work by Don – set to a very mellow set of grooves with conga, electric bass, and percussion in the rhythm group. In a way, the record feels similar to the work of the Cabildos group in Italy – but with less of the band's heavy funk moments. Titles include "Sun Ray", "DM", "Inner Face Rebirth", "Black Marble", and a nice mellow version of "Children Of The Night". Great all the way through – and a real treasure if you dig mellow electric grooves! LP, Vinyl record album

A special version of this excellent series – with an album by each artist in the package! Side one features a killer album by the justly described Great JJ Jackson – and one that's been a darn tough one to find over the years! The leadoff cut is JJ's amazing single "But It's Alright", a slammin' soul track that always stops us dead whenever we hear it – which isn't often enough! The rest of the material is excellent too, and there are lots of nice tracks like "I Dig Girls", "Courage Ain't Strength", "Too Late", "Try Me", "Down But Not Out", Sho Nuff (Got A Good Thing Going", and "Four Walls". He's equally adept at uptempo soul and more ballad inflected tunes – great stuff all the way! Side two features Hypnotized by Linda Jones – one of the greatest female singers on the east coast scene at the end of the 60s – heard here on a classic Warner Brothers set that includes some of her best-remembered tracks! At some level, the set's a prequel to Linda's later recordings for the Stang/All Platinum label – as it features production and arrangements by the great George Kerr – who really has a way with slow-moving soul tunes, and the kind of sad-tinged tracks that Jones always did so well! Plus, his raw production really brings out some of the deeper soul qualities in Linda's voice – a mode that's quite a surprise at times, and presented here in a way that's far beyond any of the Aretha Franklin-styled cliches of other singers. Jones is a tremendously unique talent in female soul, and this album's her lasting legacy – a true treasure with cuts that include the hit "Hypnotized", plus loads of other nice ones like "Last Minute Miracle", "Give My Love A Try", "You Can't Take It", "What've I Done", and "I Can't Stand It". LP, Vinyl record album

A host of raw rockers that were originally served up as 7" singles – all blasting out together with a tremendous amount of power – as if you're enjoying a night with choice cuts all stacked up in the jukebox pictured on the cover! The set's way more than any sort of oldies collection – as the music here is heavy on guitars, and effortlessly moves between blasts of fuzz and cleaner lines – sometimes instrumental, sometimes vocal – all with a sense of urgency that's delivered in the short space of the few minutes that would fit on a vintage 45! Richard Hawley curated the set, but even if you're not hip to his name, you'll find plenty here to dig if you love rare cuts of this sort – and as usual, Ace did a superb job with the presentation, sound quality, and notes! Titles include "Neb's Tune" by Ahab & The Wailers, "Cuttin Out" by The Pirages, "Feels Like A Woman" by The Troggs, "Buzzzzz" by Jimmy Cordon, "Bawana Jinde" by Al Duncan, "Dead End (part 1)" by The Executioners, "Where You Gonna Go" by Art Guy, "Long Line Rider" by Bobby Darin, "It's Nothing To Me" by Sanford Clark, "Jungle Walk" by The Dyna Sores, "Nasty" by The Timekeepers, "Quasimoto" by The Road Runners, "Swinging Drums" by Ronny Kae, and "Honky" by The Ho-Dads. CD

A host of raw rockers that were originally served up as 7" singles – all blasting out together with a tremendous amount of power – as if you're enjoying a night with choice cuts all stacked up in the jukebox pictured on the cover! The set's way more than any sort of oldies collection – as the music here is heavy on guitars, and effortlessly moves between blasts of fuzz and cleaner lines – sometimes instrumental, sometimes vocal – all with a sense of urgency that's delivered in the short space of the few minutes that would fit on a vintage 45! Richard Hawley curated the set, but even if you're not hip to his name, you'll find plenty here to dig if you love rare cuts of this sort – and as usual, Ace did a superb job with the presentation, sound quality, and notes! Titles include "Neb's Tune" by Ahab & The Wailers, "Cuttin Out" by The Pirages, "Feels Like A Woman" by The Troggs, "Buzzzzz" by Jimmy Cordon, "Bawana Jinde" by Al Duncan, "Dead End (part 1)" by The Executioners, "Where You Gonna Go" by Art Guy, "Long Line Rider" by Bobby Darin, "It's Nothing To Me" by Sanford Clark, "Jungle Walk" by The Dyna Sores, "Nasty" by The Timekeepers, "Quasimoto" by The Road Runners, "Swinging Drums" by Ronny Kae, and "Honky" by The Ho-Dads. LP, Vinyl record album

A truly incredible collection – even more wonderful than we might have guessed from the title and cover – and both of those are already pretty darn appealing! This package might well be the most comprehensive we've ever seen on the early days of punk in England – a package that goes way past the big names, way past the classic cuts, and really digs deep into the huge explosion of indie labels that fueled the scene – creating a legacy of rare singles and amazing sounds that the British scene hadn't seen in years! If you dig the Sex Pistols or Clash, there's dozens of other tunes here to love – some by artists you'll know from later fame, represented here on very early tracks – and lots more from acts who maybe only gave the world a handful of brilliant singles. The presentation is as stunning as the music – 111 tracks on 4CDs, inside a heavy 64 page book-style jacket – with page after page of notes on each song and band, and lots of images as well. Consider this whole thing an overdue primer on all the punk you missed – even if you lived back in the day – and lose yourself in the huge array of tracks by groups who include The Radiators From Space, Puncture, Some Chicken, The Panik, The Only Ones, Suspects, Tueway Army, The Boys, Acme Sewage Co, Raped, Bazoomis, Menace GLC, Sids, Rudi, Art Attack, Angelic Upstarts, Mean Street, Poison Girls, Chelsea, Demon Preacher, Leyton Brothers, The Dole, Riff Raff, The Tights, Social Security, Nicky & The Dots, No Way, The Wall, Hollywood Brats, Disco Zombies, Spizzoil, Horrorcomic, The Cravats, and lots lots more! CD

Forget the cheapo look of the cover, as the set's a classic batch of gems from the Trojan Records catalog – 2CDs worth of material, with 55 titles that go way past the obvious hits – served up in a great mix of rocksteady and early reggae modes, and filled with the kind of tunes that instantly bridged the space between Kingston and London at the end of the 60s! The package takes off from a mainstream Trojan set from back in the day, and offers the much deeper dig that we love from the Doctor Bird label – tunes that make the whole thing more of a journey of discovery than you might guess from the simple statement of the title. Tracks include "Build It Up" by Tito Simon, "Sweet Sensation" by The Melodians, "This Is Reggae Music" by Zap Pow, "Floating" by Greyhound, "Black Pearl" by Horace Faith, "Liquidator" by Harry J Allstars, "Elizabethan Reggae" by Boris Gardiner & The Love People, "I Need Your Sweet Inspiration" by The Pioneers, "Red Red Wine" by Tony Tribe, "Think About That" by Dandy Livingston, "Down In The Boondocks" by Delroy Williams, "Reggae From The Ghetto" by John Holt, "Yesterday Man" by Nicky Thomas, "Who's That Lady" by Paris Connection, and lots lots more! CD

An imagined soundtrack to a journey through London in the generation of Get Carter and Carnaby Street – and one that showcases not just the rich array of sounds and styles that were taking place in the city at the time, and in a way that highlights all sorts of different locations around town! This isn't a package of well-worn British rock classics – and as with other Bob Stanley sets on Ace Records, the music comes from a deep dig and decades-long understanding of records in many modes – which makes for a track selection that's as sublime as it is surprising, and another revelatory collection from Mr Stanley! There's two dozen gems on the collection – some we've never heard, some we'd forgotten about – all of which sound great in the company of each other – with titles that include "Hampstead Way" by Linda Lewis, "Cutty Sark" by John Barry, "Sunny Goodge Street" by Marianne Faithfull, "Marcel's" by Herman's Hermits, "London Bridge" by Cilla Black, "Mayfair" by Nick Drake, "Vauxhall To Lambeth Bridge" by Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll, "City Road" by Dave Evans, "Beckton Dumps" by Humble Pie, "Notting Hill Gate" by Quintessence, "Friday Hill" by Bulldog Breed, "Goodbye Post Office Tower" by Cressida, "Kew Gardens" by Ralph McTell, and "Euston Station" by Barbara Ruskin. CD

Beautifully spiritual jazz from the post-Coltrane generation – a wealth of righteous grooves from the early 70s – brought together in one mighty collection! If you dig the work of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and other giants on Impulse Records, this is a great way to dig even deeper – and hear the way their late 60s legacy inspired other musicians to new heights in their own music – sounds that hit a new level of freedom in jazz, yet which are still filled with enough swing and soul to avoid some of the more avant modes of the free jazz scene! If that description sounds a bit obtuse, then just plug into the collection, and let the music do its thing – as it's got a very powerful vibe throughout – the kind of inspirational, socially conscious work that flourished best during the 70s – and which is finally getting its due all these many years later. The package is new territory for Ace/BGP, but they've done a great job as usual – picking key tracks from the era, and coming up with detailed notes on each of the long tracks. Titles include "Free Angela" by Bayete, "Bridge Into The New Age" by Azar Lawrence, "Tress Cun De O La" by Joe Henderson, "Ebony Queen" by McCoy Tyner, "Peace" by Idris Muhammad, "Mother Of The Future" by Norman Connors, "Brown Warm & Wintry" by Jack DeJohnette, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, and "Fire" by Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane. CD

Jazzman take on the Cali scene – and the results are every bit as amazing as you might imagine! Like previous Texas, Florida, and Midwest Funk comps on the label, this volume is essential listening all the way through – a massive dig into rare west coast grooves of the late 60s and 1970s – presented with excellent notes on every single track, and more than enough historical detail to put the music in perspective! The whole thing's fully legit, with great mastering on most cuts – and the track list is filled with rare gems we've never seen on any other collections before – a massive funky treasure trove that includes "Turn It Over" by Chucky Thurmon, "Farm Song" by Leon Gardner, "What Goes Around Comes Around (part 1)" by Arthur Monday, "Get It Right" by Rhon Silva, "Funky Fire" by Billy Larkin, "WB" by California Gold Notes, "Curse Upon The World" by Apple & The Three Oranges, "Cold Heat" by Lil Lavair & The Fabulous Jades, "Bones" by Winter, "Smokin Tidbits" by Edwards Generation, "Al's Place" by Enrique Olivarez Y Los Vampiros, "Talking About My Baby" by John Heartsman & Circles, "What's Going On" by Mr Clean & The Soul Inc, and "All Bundled Into One" by Water Color. LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring blend of rare club tracks from the glory days of the American disco underground – music that was cut in the deep shadows of the mainstream market at the time, and which has gone on to have a lot longer staying power too! The cuts here are all from very obscure releases on tiny labels around the country – most so small, the records were issued on 7" singles, not the usual 12" club DJ release – which has made them even more overlooked in the passing decades, given that so many collectors of this sort of music are digging for the larger format! Yet interest in rare club from the pre-house years has never been stronger – and a set like this is a great way to glimpse a scene that was out of reach even to most folks who were around at the time – a smoking set of 17 groovers that include "Can You Dig It" by Teakwood, "Bay Trippin" by Parnassus, "Come Along With Me & Party" by Monofide, "I Wanna Dance" by Compton Hodge, "Feel In" by The Unit III, "My Woman My Woman" by Joshua Jackson, "She's The One" by Nature, "Bronco Queen" by Van Buren, and "Sport City Rock" by Earl Turner. CD

Beautiful! If you dig harmony soul as much as we do, then you'll really love this set – a super batch of 22 rare group soul cuts from the late 60s and early 70s, a perfect summation of that "sweet soul" sound that's always so hard to find on the reissue market. And like the first two volumes in this series, this one goes way past the hits – and includes a stunning selection of rare 45s that we never ever see on vinyl, but which deserve to be the stuff that soul legends are made of! Titles include "Different Girls" by The Naturals, "All That's Good" by The Four Jewels, "So What" by Carl Carlton, "Nothing But Promises" by The Turnpikes, "Without You" by The Norvells, "A Lonely World" by Billy & The Hi-Liners, "Baby Don't You Go" by The Perfections, "Find Me" by The Attractions, "Two Lovers" by The Voice Masters, "Peek-a-boo" by The Creations, and "This Love Of Ours" by The Sunlovers. Some of the tracks are mastered from original vinyl copies, so you will hear a spot of noise from time to time – but they still probably sound better than if you found a beat-up original! CD

One of the coolest compilations we've ever heard from Ace Records – a really special set that follows in the tradition of their other St Etienne cafe/pub collections – and like those gems, a very different package than usual! This time around, the duo of Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs (who you'll also know from the Croydon International label) focus on an overlooked strand of British sounds at the start of the 70s – music that's moody, often jazzy, and almost always touched with a hint of blue – a kind of melancholic moment after the heady 60s – one that takes into stock all the great changes that had happened in the music, but delivers them in this laidback style that's completely unselfconscious. This isn't singer/songwriter material, and it's not progressive either – although it carries light traces of some of the best of those scenes – and if we had to try to dig for a tag for these tracks at all, we might use the term "folk funk" that was bandied about years ago – for cuts that have a vibe that's complex yet personal, and lots of jazziness in the phrasing. Titles include "Last Cloud Home" by The Orange Bicycle, "Love Song With Flute" by Caravan, "Moon Bird" by The Roger Webb Sound, "Early Morning Eyes" by The Peacock Band, "JTL" by T2, "Evening Shade" by Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw, "Windfall" by Offspring, "Never Let Go" by Camel, "Bottles" by Belle Gonzalez, "Watching White Stars" by The Way We Live, "Wise Man In Your Heart" by Daevid Allen, "Til The Christ Come Back Home" by Bill Fay, "Pamela" by Scot Mist, and "O Caroline" by Matching Mole – a song which perfectly sums up the mood of the set. CD

A sweet little dip into the catalog of the LA-based Kent/Modern label – the legendary imprint that started in the R&B years, and stayed strong in the soul generation – providing inspiration and a name for the Kent branch of UK-based Ace records, home to some of the best reissues in the Dusty Groove catalog! And while Kent issued some great material back in the day, they also recorded a fair bit of work that never hit the pressing plants – some of which is on this collection, which mixes unreleased numbers with rare singles from back in the day! The set features 28 sublime numbers – a mixture of sweet soul, hard soul, group harmony, and a bit of funk – rare tunes all of them, most never issued on any full length albums. Titles include "I Got Love" by The Other Brothers, "I've Got To Win Your Love For Me" by The Sims Twins, "Baby You're Alive" by The Styles, "The Hunch" by Gene Taylor, "Come Back Baby" by Tami Young, "I'm Gonna Be Sweeter" by Clay Hammond, "You've Got It" by Johnny Williams, "Gimme Some Of Your Lovin" by Arthur Adams, "I Dig It The Most" by Jackie Day, "Down In The City" by The Marvellos, "Make A Little Love" by Lowell Fulsom, "New Lease On Life" by The Universals, "The Sun Don't Shine Every Day" by The Saints, and "That's A Rockin Good Way" by Vernon & Jewel. CD

The "lovers" here are funky 45 lovers – the kind that dig rare singles from the 60s and 70s as much as we do – plenty of which you'll find stacked up nicely in this killer set! The package delves into the legacy of 7" singles from Miami soul powerhouse TK Records – and the package is full of more unusual tracks that go way past some of the big TK chart and club hits of the time, to really show the range of material that was making the label so great – and such an important force in the record racks at the time! Titles on this vinyl version include "For Lovers Only" by New Image, "Oh Let Me Know It (part 1)" by Special Delivery, "Let Me Take Care Of Your Heart" by The Smith Brothers, "Our Day Is Here" by Jimmy Beaumont & The Skyliners, "Man Of Mine" by Betty Wright, "Stop Hurting Me Baby" by Purple Mundi, and "Nowhere" by Hokis Pokis. LP, Vinyl record album

The "lovers" here are funky 45 lovers – the kind that dig rare singles from the 60s and 70s as much as we do – plenty of which you'll find stacked up nicely in this killer set! The package delves into the legacy of 7" singles from Miami soul powerhouse TK Records – and the package is full of more unusual tracks that go way past some of the big TK chart and club hits of the time, to really show the range of material that was making the label so great – and such an important force in the record racks at the time! Familiar names mix nicely with lesser-knowns – and the set features 23 tracks in all, with titles that include "Our Day Is Here" by JP Robinson, "Nowhere" by Hokis Pokis, "For Lovers Only" by New Image, "Let Me Take Care Of Your Heart" by The Smith Brothers, "Our Day Is Here" by Jimmy Beaumont & The Skyliners, "Man Of Mine" by Betty Wright, "Secret Lover" by Paulette Reaves, "Come On With It" by Lew Kirton, "Sweet Vibrations" by Latimore, "Moon Ride" by Universal Love, "Dance Craze" by New Image, "Funky Party" by Clarence Reid, and "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington. CD

Dig French pop from the 60s? Here's a way to dig even deeper – as this great little collection is filled with rare gems that go past the classics in your collection by Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, and Jane Birkin! Most of the material here is work that we'd never have come across otherwise – and the package definitely lives up to the "groove" promised in its title – as the work is upbeat, and blends together yeh yeh 60s modes with other mod styles, and even some touches of funk and psych from time to time! There's a massive amount of work here – 22 rare tracks in all – and titles include "Bye Bye City" by Le Coeur, "Flower Power" and "Georgie Girl" by Les Hamsters, "Dee Duck" by Maraton, "Une Petite Fille" by L'Empreinte, "Bye, Bye Brighton" by Epta, "Nevada" by Les Rotomagus, "Crazy Mister Badge" by Mister Badge, "Monsieur Cyber" by Les Chimeriennes, "Luimere Et Paix" by Pax Quartet, "Vous" by Michel Pagliaro, "Vivre D'Amour Et De Musique" by France, and "Un Rayon De Soleil Est Entre Dans Mon Lit" by Les Parisiennes. CD

The ghost of Christmas past comes back to haunt us – but in the grooviest way possible, thanks to a fab selection of old school Holiday tunes from the folks at Bear Family! The music here is mostly from the 40s and 50s – and is mostly vocal overall, sung by artists who move through jazz, R&B, and pop vocal styles – often putting an extra sort of punch in a Christmas tune, with the kind of upbeat, optimistic quality that was often the best part of mainstream postwar music! There's few folks we'd trust more than Bear Family for a collection like this – and they do a great job – with titles that include "Here Comes Santa Claus" by The Mills Brothers, "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" by Lionel Hampton with Sonny Parker, "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus" by Ralph Martierie, "The Christmas Spell" by Peggy Lee, "Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney" by Ella Fitzgerald, "I Need A Man For Xmas" by Thelma Cooper, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Johnny Mercer, "The Man With The Bag" by Kay Starr, and "Cool Yule" by Louis Armstrong. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from the UK soul scene – music from a time when some of the bigger names overseas were starting to grab interest on US charts, but were only the tip of the iceberg next to some of the overlooked artists on this set! If you dig the sounds of Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, and Mica Paris, you'll find plenty to love here – as the set's overflowing with 80s and 90s-styled soul tracks that make great use of beats and more contemporary production in a great way – almost bringing back a more organic approach in the music, at a time when American R&B could come off sounding a bit too stiff or commercial. And we'll be honest in saying that although we were scouring the racks for imports during this generation, there's plenty of cuts here that are still new to our ears – a superb set list that includes "Straight to The Top" by Purely Fizzycal, "Passion" by Taffy, "Hold Your Head Up" by Weekend In Paris, "Don't Touch "by Cavalier, "Coming Back" by Bovel, "What You Do For Me" by Pure Silk, "Take Me There" by Marcelle Moncrieffe, "Life (club mix)" by Sam, and "Step By Step" by Kofi. CD

Fantastic work from the UK soul scene – music from a time when some of the bigger names overseas were starting to grab interest on US charts, but were only the tip of the iceberg next to some of the overlooked artists on this set! If you dig the sounds of Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, and Mica Paris, you'll find plenty to love here – as the set's overflowing with 80s and 90s-styled soul tracks that make great use of beats and more contemporary production in a great way – almost bringing back a more organic approach in the music, at a time when American R&B could come off sounding a bit too stiff or commercial. And we'll be honest in saying that although we were scouring the racks for imports during this generation, there's plenty of cuts here that are still new to our ears – a superb set list that includes "Straight to The Top" by Purely Fizzycal, "Passion" by Taffy, "Hold Your Head Up" by Weekend In Paris, "Don't Touch "by Cavalier, "Coming Back" by Bovel, "What You Do For Me" by Pure Silk, "Take Me There" by Marcelle Moncrieffe, "Life (club mix)" by Sam, and "Step By Step" by Kofi. LP, Vinyl record album

The real sound of the British underground at the end of the 60s – a stellar 3CD package that goes way beyond the oft-heard modes from the classic rock and progressive years! Sure, all the big names from those years are totally great – but they've also obscured the really rich tapestry of lesser-knowns who were working in London and beyond at the time – extremely inventive groups who work here in a blistering array of fuzzy, freaky, and mad mod styles! The book's got plenty of details on the 65 tracks included in the box set – more than enough info to help situate these really unique sounds, and no doubt start you digging for more in the future. Yet there's hardly any need to dig when you've got a set this great – a package that includes "Pretty Colours" by Deep Feeling, "Ebeneezer Beaver" by The Mirage, "Amanda Jane" by West Coast Consortium, "Love" by Shy Limbs, "Santa Lucia" by Respect, "Iridescent Butterfly" by Fat Mattress, "Story Book" by Alan Bown, "Just Another Day" by Neon Pearl, "I'll Be Late For Tea" by Blossom Toes, "Am I Glad To See You" by The In Crowd, "Busy Bee" by Tintern Abbey, "Fillin A Gap" by Paper Bubble, "Creation" by Beau, and "Hurry On Sundown" by Hawkwind Zoo. CD

There's plenty of R&B Christmas collections on the market, but this is one of the best – a really well-done collection that goes way past the over-played hits, and features some really rare treasures in the genre! Although a holiday set, this one's put together with the same depth and care of Ace Records' usual rare soul collections – and features a well-chosen batch of obscure singles, mostly from the west coast and Memphis scenes of the 50s – all supported by great notes, top-shelf packaging, and a really overstuffed set list! Titles include "Christmas Celebration" by BB King, "Santa Claus Baby" by The Voices, "White Hot Christmas" by The Elves, "I Wanna Spend Christmas With You" by Lowell Fulsom, "I Want You With Me Christmas" by Jesse Belvin, "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus" by Oscar McLollie & The Honey Jumpers, "Crazy Santa Claus" by The Debonaires, "Gonna Have A Merry Xmas" by The Nic Nacs, "Merry Christmas Baby" by Mari Jones, "Christmas Bells" by Bobby Nunn, and "Xmas Baby" by Riff Ruffin. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan. CD

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent compilation that's very much in the spirit of the 100% Dynamite sets on Soul Jazz! This time, Soul Jazz dig through the vaults of the legendary Studio One catalog – some of the most important reggae and rocksteady ever recorded, virtually all of it produced under the tutelage of Clement "Coxone" Dodd. Much of this material has been floating around over the years, but we'd be hard pressed to think of a better collection of it – especially when considering the excellent fidelity of the set, which is way better than an of Dodd's own reissues of the material. Plus, the folks at Soul Jazz have gone out of their way to put together the tracks as an extremely well-thought out introduction to the music, not just a scattered batch of tunes that happened to be available. The set also includes a recent interview with Clement Dodd, plus loads of great rocksteady and early reggae tracks. Titles include "Surfin" by Ernest Ranglin, "Real Rock" by Sound Dimension, "Feel Like Jumping" by Marcia Griffiths, "Greedy G" by Brentford All Stars, "Village Soul" by Lennie Hibbert, "Ethiopia" by Cedric Brooks, "Crabwalking" by Prince Jazzbo, "Hot Milk" by Jackie Mittoo, "Badder Dan Dem" by Lone Ranger, and "Bobby Bobylon" by Freddy McGregor. CD

Incredible female pop from 60s France – not weepy ballads or old school Paris numbers, but the kind of hip-snapping, all-groovy material that made the 60s French scene so great! Loads of these tracks are new to our ears (and we love French grooves a lot!) – and this volume of the series seems to dig even deeper than before – through a range of rare 7" EP material and singles, to come up with some killer tracks that will move way beyond the bigger cuts you might know from Francoise Hardy or Brigitte Bardot. The production and instrumentation is superb throughout – often with these funky currents that make these tracks feel years ahead of their time – and as usual with Ace, the whole presentation is great – from ultra-clear sound through full notes on the music too. Titles include "Rouge Rouge" by Christie Laume, "Pour La Gloire" by Annie Philippe, "Demain" by Zouzou, "Cours Si Tu As Peur" by Fabienne, "A La Fin De La Soiree" by Sheila, "Cette Nuit" by Pussycat, "Angel Of Sin" by Charlotte Walters, "Les Prisons De Sa Majeste" by Delphine, and "Le Nenuphar" by Stone. LP, Vinyl record album

A deep deep dive into the farther reaches of the California scene in the late 60s – music that's completely wonderful all the way through, and presented with a level that really blows away some of the less-official collections on the market! If you know the hit sounds of the time, you'll know a bit of what to expect here – but the selection of cuts goes way way deeper, put together by Alec Palao, a guy we'd already trust with anything Cali from the 60s – and who really knocks himself out with this set! If you dig Beach Boys, Mamas & Papas, and the Byrds, you'll find plenty of new sounds here to fall in love with – and as usual with Ace, the whole thing comes with superb notes, and even features a few unreleased tracks – including two rare cuts by Third Wave, who recorded one album for MPS! Titles include "Niki" and "Three Kingfishers Ferris Wheel" by Third Wave, "Go Try & Put Out The Sun" by The Forum, "Soul Sunrise" by JP Rags, "A Thousand Faces" by The Thousand Faces, "Out In The Open" by The Justice League, "Meadows & Flowers" by Curt Boettcher, "Richard & Me" by Evergreen Tangerine, "Someday Sunday" by The Gettysburg Address, "Lazy Bones" by The Tricycle, "Sugar Stone" by The Candy Company, "The Life You Lead" by A Small World, "Summer Flower" by Crystal Set, and "Until Now" by Augie Moreno. CD

A wonderful collection of obscure solo acoustic guitar tunes from the mid 60s up to the dawn of the 80s – beautiful work from a slew of players we've never heard of – but we'd put right up there with Fahey and Basho in the way they reach from the back porch to the cosmos with just their fingers and some strings! One thing we love about this set, and the Numero Group releases to date, is how deep they dig and what beauty they unearth, somehow with impeccable sound quality. Some tunes are starkly beautiful, some chime on fairly intently, some do both those things and more – and it's very heartening and instantly appealing stuff – wordless tunes that carry a lot of sensitivity and emotion! The 40 page booklet features detailed notes and bio material for each track, plus an introduction by Numero's Rob Sevier and essays by Dan Lambert and Jim Ohlschmidt. Titles include "Beginning" by Dana Westover", "Raga In D" by Ted Lucas, "Sailor's Dream" by Scotte Witte, "Flight" by George Cromarty, "Diagonal" by Richard Crandell, "Baha Dream Songs" by Daniel Hecht, "Delta Freeze" by Jim Ohlschmidt, "No More School" by Stephen Cohen, "Strawberry Man" by Mark Lang, "Warm River" by Bread Chequer, "One Forty Eight" by Swayne Canna and more. CD

A wonderful collection of obscure solo acoustic guitar tunes from the mid 60s up to the dawn of the 80s – beautiful work from a slew of players we've never heard of – but we'd put right up there with Fahey and Basho in the way they reach from the back porch to the cosmos with just their fingers and some strings! One thing we love about this set, and the Numero Group releases to date, is how deep they dig and what beauty they unearth, somehow with impeccable sound quality. Some tunes are starkly beautiful, some chime on fairly intently, some do both those things and more – and it's very heartening and instantly appealing stuff – wordless tunes that carry a lot of sensitivity and emotion! The 40 page booklet features detailed notes and bio material for each track, plus an introduction by Numero's Rob Sevier and essays by Dan Lambert and Jim Ohlschmidt. Titles include "Beginning" by Dana Westover", "Raga In D" by Ted Lucas, "Sailor's Dream" by Scotte Witte, "Flight" by George Cromarty, "Diagonal" by Richard Crandell, "Baha Dream Songs" by Daniel Hecht, "Delta Freeze" by Jim Ohlschmidt, "No More School" by Stephen Cohen, "Strawberry Man" by Mark Lang, "Warm River" by Bread Chequer, "One Forty Eight" by Swayne Canna and more. CD

A great collection of rare 45s from the powerhouse TK Records label and all it's many smaller imprints – Dade, Glades, Alston, and many others – brought here together with a focus on a really special side of the label! TK was one of the first to really promote the 12" single in the disco generation – but before, during, and after the label maintained a strong commitment to the funky 45 too – and really used the format to showcase some of its stronger soul singers, in a way that made sure that the 7" singles packed plenty of punch! This set features 24 of those rare nuggets from TK, with plenty of obscure numbers in the lineup – and titles include "All Because Of Your Love" by Otis Clay, "Rules Are Made To Be Broken" by The Diamonettes, "Never Had A Love So Good" by Charles Johnson, "I Can't Speak" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington, "Hold On To It" by Barry Smith, "Please Don't Stop" by Wildflower, "Stop Hurting Me Baby" by Purple Mundi, "One Night Affair" by The Rising Sun, "That Is Why" by Sherlyn Wittiker & Touch, "Even Though" by King Tutt, "Do What You Wanna Do (part 1)" by Frank Howard & The Continentals, and "How Can I Do What's Right" by Vanessa Kendrick. CD