The best-ever collection of work we've seen by Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set more than corrects that problem – by presenting the 20 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label, along with full notes on players and sessions, as well as a nice essay on Johnny's music and all-too-short career! Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Burley Cutie", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "No Money", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "Please Forgive Me", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". CD

The only full album from Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set is still the best – and features 12 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label. Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". CD

The only full album from Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set is still the best – and features 12 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label. Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

21 songs. CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Features guitar work from Wayne Bennett and Renard Poche – on titles that include "Lovers Will", "Missing You", "Fortune Teller", "Snap Your Fingers", "Garbage Man", and "Give A Broken Heart A Break". LP, Vinyl record album

The best work ever from the great Johnny Adams – a Crescent City soul singer with a hell of a lot of power, brought into wonderfully strong focus here on these early recordings for the Ric & Ron label! Johnny recorded later in Nashville and Jackson, but he's never sounded better than on these early sides – which have a depth of feeling and timeless power that we'd rank right up there with some of the most important names during the early years of soul. The material is nicely free of overdone New Orleans styles – and instead has this care and class that really reaches out from the roots of the material, to showcase Johnny as a singer with a great deal of care and class, but one who's still able to let loose in the best deep soul modes too. Adams hardly ever got the chart coverage he should have deserved – but this 24 track set will more than support his strong legacy – with detailed notes, and a stunning array of tracks that include "Closer To You", "Teach Me To Forget", "Who You Are", "Showdown", "A Losing Battle", "Life Is Just A Struggle", "Cold Cold Heart", "Coming Around The Mountain", and "Nowhere To Go". CD

A huge collection of work from the second chapter in the career of long-running New Orleans soul singer Johnny Adams – work after his initial rise to fame on the SSS International label, from a time when he was working with producer Senator Jones, in a groove that nicely updated an older deep soul style! In later years, Adams would emerge as a more traditional artist, but here he's doing a great job of working with larger charts alongside his well-crafted vocals – in a style that's not unlike that used by Johnnie Taylor and Tyrone Davis in the late 70s too – a more sophisticated take on southern soul, and one that seems to push some of Adams' vocals even more than before! Most of the work was recorded at the Seasaint studios in the late 70s – and titles include "Nothing Takes The Place Of You", "After All The Good Is Gone", "Feel The Beat", "Chasing Rainbows", "It's Been So Long", "Think About You", "Your Love Is All I Need", "Baby Baby I Love You", "She's Only A Baby Herself", "Stay With Me & Stay In Love", "I Don't Want To Cry", and "Memories". 2CD set features 30 tracks in all – including the live cuts "Lost Mind", "Road Block", and "I Cover The Waterfront". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue second full length albums from the SSS International years of the great Johnny Adams – tracks that were mostly issued as singles by the label, and which come together here with a punch that's even harder than the work on his Heart & Soul album from the time! Adams has a voice that's definitely trained in the deep soul modes of the south, but also gets some groovier help that's more in keeping with the SSS approach – a bit funky at times, nicely gritty at others – on titles that include "South Side Of Soul Street", "Give Me A Chance", "Release Me", "Proud Woman", "I Won't Cry", "In A Moment Of Weakness", "You Made A New Man Out Of Me", "I've Got Too Much To Lose", and "Living On Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Another soulful set of jazz standards that pairs the great Lorez with a group led by Gildo Mahones. Gildo's always been one of the best piano players we've heard accompaning a vocalist, and his work with Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross is the stuff of legends. This group has the added benefit of good tenor work by Herman Riley, and the band swings well with Lorez as she soulfully makes her way through tracks like "Mandy Is Two", "Skylark", "Harlem Butterfly", and "P.S. I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

While not as funky as some of her other records for Discovery, this tasty session of vocal tracks still has Lorez singing in a beautifully soulful style, of the type that she's finally getting recognition for these days! The lady has always been one of our favorite vocalists, and she's got some nice backing here from the Mike Wofford trio, plus some additional tenor and flute work by Herman Riley. The whole thing's got a very nice round soulful sound – and titles include "Days of Wine & Roses", "I Remember You", "Early Autumn", and "My Shining Hour". LP, Vinyl record album

The 3rd in Lorez's excellent series of albums dedicated to the songs of Johnny Mercer – and like previous volumes, recorded with some very soulful backing from the Gildo Mahones quartet! Gildo brings a gentle swing to the tracks that lets Lorez sing in a free and open range – one that she often didn't reach in earlier, more restricted albums. The set doesn't have any of the standout funk numbers of some of Lorez's other Mahones sets – but it is a really tasty one overall, with tracks that include I'm Building Up To An Awful Let Down", "Day In Day Out", "That Old Black Magic", "Bittersweet", "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", and "Midnight Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice reissue of some of Johnny Alf's rare bossa nova sides from the mid 60's! Unlike some of the other Brazilian bossa artists who made it big in the states (like Jobim and Joao Gilberto), Johnny Alf was a major talent in Brazil, but never really got exported properly. His sound is warm and mellow, and he's sings and plays piano in a sweet sultry way. Most of the stuff on here has him performing in front of larger orchestrations, with some good jazzy moments, and some that are more lush and romantic. The stuff's all great, though, and it's an excellent lost chapter in the history of bossa nova that we've had trouble getting up until now! Cuts include "Ceu Alegre", "Bossa So", "Gismi", "Imenso Do Amor", and "Samba Sem Balanco". CD

Groovy pop instrumental versions of Donovan's hits, including "Catch the Wind", "There Is a Mountain", "Sunny Goodge Street", "Jennifer Juniper", and "Hampstead Incident". The sound is very Brit now sound, with a lot of electric bass, and jumpy orchestrations banked in strings. LP, Vinyl record album

Features a few tracks each by Carey Bell's Blues Harp Band, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, and Johnny "Big Moose" Walker! Part of the early Alligator Records effort document the fading Chicago Blues underground. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue set from the great Johnny Blas – the percussionist who really made the Cubop label so great back in the 90s, returning here with a sound and style that's even more classic than ever! The instrumentation and production are rock-solid throughout – no too-polished modes, and a really strong focus on Johnny's conga work at the core – which seems to ground all the other great instrumentation on the set – including lots of strong work on trombone, piano, flute, and alto – the last two of which are sometimes played by Johnny too! There's vocals on the record on a few tracks, but the main focus is on jazzy instrumentation – and titles include "Unfinished Business", "Never Let Me Go", "Baila Que Baila", "Chi Town (parts 1 & 2)", "Berwyn Stop", and "Danzon For Rocio". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful record – although one that's tinged with a touch of sadness, given the setting. In what was becoming an unfortunate tradition in their later years, the remaining members of the legendary South African jazz group The Blue Notes join together to mourn the passing of one of their original bandmembers – the great bassist Johnny Dyani, a player whose sound had a key influence on both African and European jazz scenes of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The group for this session is reduced to Chris McGregor on piano, Louis Moholo on bass, and Dudu Pukwana on alto and soprano saxes – working together in a beautiful session of tunes that hearken back to the rhythms of the group's roots – while still allowing some of the freer interplay that they discovered in later years. McGregor's piano is especially nice – tinged with sadness and appropriate blue notes – providing a nice undercurrent to the solo work of Pukwana. Titles include "Funk Dem Dudu", "Eyomzi", "Blues For Nick", and "Monks & Mbizo". CD

A beautiful record – although one that's tinged with a touch of sadness, given the setting. In what was becoming an unfortunate tradition in their later years, the remaining members of the legendary South African jazz group The Blue Notes join together to mourn the passing of one of their original bandmembers – the great bassist Johnny Dyani, a player whose sound had a key influence on both African and European jazz scenes of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The group for this session is reduced to Chris McGregor on piano, Louis Moholo on bass, and Dudu Pukwana on alto and soprano saxes – working together in a beautiful session of tunes that hearken back to the rhythms of the group's roots – while still allowing some of the freer interplay that they discovered in later years. McGregor's piano is especially nice – tinged with sadness and appropriate blue notes – providing a nice undercurrent to the solo work of Pukwana. Titles include "Funk Dem Dudu", "Eyomzi", "Blues For Nick", and "Monks & Mbizo". LP, Vinyl record album