Includes tracks by Sherri Jericho, Barry McKight, Randy Thomas, Boots Walker, Robin Garrett, Ruby Wright, Sharon Black, the Astronauts, Roger White, Anna King, String Shifter, Johnny Geer, Waldo, Dudley & Dora, Jeffrey J Jeffrey and more. CD

One of a handful of records cut by the lovely singer Byrdie Green for Prestige during the 60s! Byrdie's got a sweet soulful voice – not the greatest in the world technically, but very much in that classic small club mode of the 60s and 70s, as often heard singing with a hip small combo late into the nights. In this case, the hip combo's that of Johnny Hammond Smith – as Johnny arranged the whole set, and sort of acted as Byrdie's mentor at Prestige. Johnny's groovy organ group also features Virgil Jones on trumpet, Gene Walker on tenor, and Eddie Diehl on guitar – and they provide some very tasty backing for Byrdie on cuts like "Hurt", "Gin House Blues", "Goin Out Of My Head", "Somebody Groovy", and "In The Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

Great live material from Wes Montgomery – very nicely recorded, and featuring the bulk of a live show that took place on March 27, 1965, in Paris! The group features Harold Mabern on piano, Art Harper on bass, and Jimmy Lovelace on drums – plus Johnny Griffin joining in on one track – and the overall approach of the record is quite different than some of Wes' larger group studio sessions of the time. Tracks are all mostly long, and Wes is working in some really great solo modes – still as tight and soulful as ever, but really taking a lot of chances and working through some techniques to much greater impact than on the shorter studio tracks. Titles include "Mister Walker", "To Django", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

The Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra steps out here in a very large version of the ensemble – led by the great Horace Tapscott on piano, and stretching out on some very long tunes that are filled with strong solo work from different members of the group! Key players include Adele Sebastian and Aubrey Hart on flute, Desta Walker and Sabir Mateen on tenor, Billie Harris on soprano sax, Louis Spears on cello, Lester Robertson on trombone, Johnny Williams on baritone, and Tapscott on piano – most of whom are musicians you might know from the classic set of Nimbus label material from the LA scene at the time. The vibe here is maybe a more spiritual take on territory explored by Sun Ra and his Arkestra – and this release, like others in the series, marks the first time this music is available to the public! Titles include long takes on "Noissesprahs", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Village Dance", and "Many Nights Ago" – plus the shorter "Crepuscule With Nellie" and "Middle Age Madness". CD

A classic set from this legendary Detroit festival – a mighty assemblage of roots and jazz performers that was put together by John Sinclair! The event was legendary at the time – and has lived on strongly via this great recording by Atlantic – one that really gets at the special fire of all the performers, and their very enthusiastic welcome by the audience too! Most of the material here is blues – but the set features a key track from Sun Ra & His Solar Myth Arkestra – a performance of "Live Is Splendid" from the Space Is The Place Suite. Other tracks include "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Dr John, "Road Runner" by Jr Walker, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "Gambler's Blues" by Otis Rush, "Ain't That Loving You" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Honey Bee" by Muddy Waters, "Form Kinetic" by CJQ, "Dust My Broom" by Johnny Shines, and "Goin Down" by Freddie King. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection, mostly with vintage work from the late 40s through the 60s – including performances by Texas Johnny Brown, Sticks McGhee, John Lee Hooker, Blind Willie McTell, T-Bone Walker, Guitar Slim, Al King, Cornell Dupree, and Chuck Norris! CD

A great little collection, mostly with vintage work from the late 40s through the 60s – including performances by Texas Johnny Brown, Sticks McGhee, John Lee Hooker, Blind Willie McTell, T-Bone Walker, Guitar Slim, Al King, Cornell Dupree, and Chuck Norris! Lots of nice non-LP tracks too! LP, Vinyl record album

The genius of Ziggy Stardust didn't just spring out of the blue – as David Bowie spent years listening to other music by a range of different artists – engaging them, supporting them, and absorbing them in the process – all to weave into the rich tapestry that became his own musical legacy! Bowie famously covered 60s tunes on his Pin Ups album, and did others' tracks on some other studio sides as well – and his live performances were famous over the years for surprising remakes that offered unabashed homage to those who influenced him – a few of whom would become musical partners as well. This loving package features 24 tracks that were all later performed by Bowie, but delivered here in their original versions – all with detailed notes that trace the lines between the initial takes and the remakes – with the kind of flourish we've come to love from Ace Records. Titles include "Fill Your Heart" by Biff Rose, "It Ain't Easy" by Ron Davies, "Sorry" by The Merseys, "Rosalyn" by The Pretty Things, "Dancing In The Street" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Nite Flights" by The Walker Brothers, "Alabama Song" by Lotte Lenya & The Three Admirals, "Kingdom Come" by Tom Verlaine, "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" by The Kinks, "White Light White Heat" by The Velvet Underground, "Louie Go Home" by Paul Revere & The Raiders, "If There Is Something" by Roxy Music, "Criminal World" by Metro, "Amsterdam" by Jacques Brel, "Wild Is The Wind" by Johnny Mathis, "I Took A Trip On A Gemini Space Ship" by The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, and "Pablo Picasso" by The Modern Lovers. CD

An overlooked side of the early Chess Records – a collection that features tracks by Lou Josie, Bobby Dean, Bobby Sisco, Del Saint & The Devils, Jet Tones, Rusty York, Eddie Fontaine, GL Crockett, Jimmy Lee & Wayne Walker, Johnny Fuller, Mel Robbins, Larry Diamond, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer little set that's as heavy as it sounds from the title – a wealth of rare material pulled from the studio of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton – a good deal of it previously unreleased! Hearing this set is like finding a pile of rare 45s stuffed in the back corner of a long-lost record shop – because although much of the work was never issued, it crackles with the intensity of the best funky 45s – lots of funky drums, offbeat guitar, and raspy soul vocals – produced with a real edge to all the work, so that all of the hardest elements of the tunes really come through in the mix! The work that was issued here came out on the TCB, Tayster, and New Day labels – and although the artists are often not well known, the work's got a really unified feel – thanks to the funky vision of Dave Hamilton. CD features 20 tracks in all – including "Brand New Girl (part 1)", "You're Wasting My Time (parts 1 & 2)", and "I Got Some (parts 1 & 2)" by Billy Garner; "The Grown Folks Thing" by OC Tolbert, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Going To The Moon" by Dave Hamilton, "Funky Trip" by Johnny Walker, "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" by The Future Kind, "Just A Mistake" by The Barrino Brothers, "Hunchin" by Gip Roberts, "Bump With Me" by The Webb People, "Sweet Thing (part 1)" by Bobby Dee, and "Can You Dig It" by Chico & Buddy. CD

John Lee Hooker gets some great treatment here – working in a loose, groovy style for the Bluesway label – and getting a nice dose of funk right down at the core! The set's produced by Ed Michel – who'd also done some great soul jazz work over the years – and in addition to great vocals and guitar from Hooker, the set also features extra guitar from the great Earl Hooker, piano and organ from Johnny Walker, and harmonica from Jeffrey Carp. Gino Skaggs plays electric bass, which gives the whole thing a nice kick – and titles include "Have Mercy On My Souil", "Lonesome Mood", "Bang Bang Bang Bang", "The Hookers", "Baby, Be Strong", and "I Wanna Be Your Puppy Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A whole host of rare cuts from the original Kent Records label in LA – the 60s follow-up to the famous Crown/Modern/RPM imprint of the postwar years – a set of labels that gave the world plenty of amazing R&B tracks in the 50s! Here, Kent is going more for a 60s groove overall, but with qualities that still echo the nice edge of their older material – all in a package that pays tribute to a famous collection of Kent songs done by Ace Records forty years before – the start of a long love affair that's had Ace issuing plenty of tracks that never saw the light of day back in the 50s and 60s! That's definitely the case here – as rare cuts stand next to others making their vinyl debut – and NOTE that this CD version features a different track list than the vinyl – only 3 of the 24 tracks within are included on the LP version. Titles include "You'd Be Good For Me" by Jeanette Jones, "Gonna Put It On Your Mind" by Arthur Adams, "Jealous Woman" by T Bone Walker, "You Changed Me" by Teddy Reynolds, "Wanting You" by Jimmy Bee, "Satisfied Feeling" by Mary Love, "Tramp" by Foxfire with Johnny Adams, "Freedom & Justice" by The Pace Setters, "Remove My Doubts" by Stacy Johnson, "Here Comes the Judge" by Larry & Tommy, "Push Me" by Lowell Fulson, "On My Way Back Home" by Flash Terry, "No More Tears" by The Sweethearts, "Help Me" by Beatrice Lee, and "Mr Bad Luck" by King Solomon. CD

Really great work from the Kent/Modern family of labels on the LA scene of the 60s – a company that initially broke big during the postwar years of R&B, but continued to record a huge amount of wonderful artists as the years went on! Because of their ties to R&B in the previous decade, Kent also had a great ear for the deeper side of soul music – so there's plenty of tracks on this set that may well have come from Memphis, Muscle Shoals, or other points south – mixed in with others that have a cool Cali vibe, including a few great early funk tracks, and some crossover gospel gems! The collection is the sort that Ace does the best – and is filled with rare singles, unreleased tracks, and other gems – all supported by very detailed notes. Titles include "At Last" by Jimmy bee, "Where She Att" by ZZ Hill, "Like I Do" by Bobby John, "Don't Believe Him" by Stacy Johnson, "Mighty Clouds Of Joy" by BPS Revolution, "Nobody But Me" by The Other Brothers, "Ghetto Child" by Johnny Copeland & His Soul Agents, "What Is This World Coming To" by Charles Taylor, "Jodine" by Earl Foster, "It's Getting Late" by Al King, "Whole World Down On You" by Larry Davis, "The Good Side Of My Girl" by Clay Hammond, "I'll Be Standing By" by Chuck Walker & The VIPs, "You're Still My Baby" by Venetta Fields, and "Rock Me Baby" by Millie Foster. CD

Includes music by Albert Ammons, T-Bone Walker, Sol Hoopii, Chet Atkins, Lowell Fulson, Johnny Guitar Watson, Bill Doggett, BB King, Link Wray, Duane Eddy, Bo Diddley, Eddie Cochran, Dr. John, Santo and Johnny, the Ventures, Shadows, Dick Dale, King Curtis, and others – 66 tracks total. CD