The title's a bit hokey – an obvious play on the Star Wars film that was running in theaters at the time of the record – but the sound is classic Willis Jackson at his finest, recorded in a style that's right up there with his best 60s work for Prestige! The group here is a quintet – with Willis on tenor, Charles Earland on organ, Pat Martino on guitar, Idris Muhammad on drums, and Buddy Caldwell on congas – and as on Earland's best soul jazz sides for Muse from the time, there's a real back-to-basics approach here, one that really gets away from Modes that Willis used on other labels in the 70s. Titles include "The Goose Is Loose", "Bar Wars", "Blue & Sentimental", "Later", and "It's All Right With Me" – plus two alternate takes! CD

Some of the earliest work as a leader from the great Willis Jackson – a tenorist known to most for his work on Prestige Records in the 60s, but who first began as a key crossover figure between postwar jazz and R&B! The music here definitely captures Jackson in that mode – great small combo sets recorded for the Apollo label up in Harlem – presented here with cuts that were originally issued as 78rpm singles, plus other unissued titles too – all making for a great overview of these early years! Most numbers were recorded under Jackson's own name – in a combo with Andrew Ford on trumpet, Bill Doggett on piano, and Booty Wood on trombone – but there's also a few done with vocalist Eddie Mack. The set features 16 tracks in all – and titles include "Blow Jackson Blow", "More Blues At Midnight", "Later For The Gator", "Chuck's Chuckles", "On My Own", "Dance Of The Lady Bug", and "Call Of The Gators". CD

Mighty early work from the incredible Willis Jackson – one of most energetic and heavily soulful tenors ever to pick up a horn! These recordings are made of up some of Jackson's earliest recordings, including the legendary 1949 Mercury sessions with the Cootie Williams Orchestra, moves into work he did with for Apollo Records with the Bobby Smith Orchestra and others, and ends with some sessions with Ruth Brown. Explosive bebop and early r&b! 26 tracks in all: "Gator Tail (Parts 1 &2)", "Let 'Em Roll", "Steam Roller Blues" and more with Cootie Williams, "Can't Help Lovin' That Man", "Chuck's Chuckle", "Gonna Hoot & Holler Saturday Night" with Eddie Mack, "Gator's Groove", "Harlem Nocturne", "Daddy Daddy" and "The Tears Keep Tumblin' Down" with Ruth Brown, and much more! CD

A great album from Willis Jackson – a real sleeper, and with a very groovy feel! Willis smokes with an organ combo that has Butch Cornell at the keys, and which also features Vince Corrao on guitar and Franklyn Robinson on trumpet. The tracks are a mix of originals and Beatles covers (believe it or not!), and Willis is in that playful mid-60s mode, where he's working with so much profiency on the tenor that he can take some groovy chances on the solos. The rhythm's got a great Cadet soul jazz vibe to it – and the album fits nicely with some of Jack McDuff's work on the same label. Titles include "Yesterday", "Hard Day's Night", "Goose Pimples", and "Doin' The Mudcat". CD

Includes work by Willis Jackson, Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, and Richard Groove Holmes! CD

If this is what they call an Encyclopedia, the folks at Britannica can sign us up! The set's a smoking selection of older soul jazz numbers from the glory days of Prestige Records – that key late 50s/1960s time when the label was helping forge a whole new sound in jazz – mixing in elements of R&B, hardbop, and gospel – and letting fly with a whole range of great tenor and organ players! The tracks here are all classics, all presented in nice long full versions that show what music like this can really do when let loose in the studio – and titles include "Seed Shack" by Gene Ammons, "Nother Futher" by Sonny Stitt & Jack McDuff, "Misty" by Groove Holmes, "Soul Meeting" by King Curtis, "The Honeydripper" by Jack McDuff, "When My Dreamboat Comes Home" by Arnett Cobb, "In The Kitchen" by Eddie Lockjaw Davis, "More Today Than Yesterday" by Charles Earland, "Please Mr Jackson" by Willis Jackson, and "Dirty Apple" by Johnny Hammond Smith. CD

Includes music by Wallace Roney, Sonny Criss, Woody Shaw, Sonny Stitt, Johnny Lyttle, Richie Cole, David Fathead Newman, Willis Jackson, and Richard Groove Holmes. CD

Classic jazz dance material with a very sparkling groove! The tracks on here are pulled from mainstream album of the 50s and 60s – but the tracks overall are quite rare, and there's plenty on here that haven't been reissued on vinyl at all! 16 cuts in all, and titles include "Shout Brother" by Red Holloway, "Lolita Marie" by Eddie Harris, "Chickadee" by Willie Bobo, "Implorar" by Cipo & His Authentic Rhythm Group, "El Toro" by Gabor Szabo, "Perdido" by Candido, "Nuther'n Like Thuthern" by Willis Jackson, "Parchman Farm" by Mose Allison, and "Tequila" by King Curtis. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

Really classic jazz grooves from the vaults of Prestige Records – the kind of cuts that first broke big on the London scene of the 80s, at a time when diggers were setting fire to the rare groove scene too! The cuts here are proof that some of the best work doesn't need to come from completely obscure groups or super-tiny labels – as the music here is exactly the kind of work that made huge waves in the US jazz scene when first released, then went underground for many years – until later collectors and diggers brought it back to the limelight! The great thing is how many of these cuts are all acoustic – no need for electricity to make things funky – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Hiyo Silver" by Bennie Green, "Grease Monkey" by Kenny Burrell with Jack McDuff, "Mau Mau" by Art Farmer, "Mambo Inn" by Billy Taylor with Candido, "Manteca" by Red Garland, "Blue Stompin" by Hal Singer, "Spider Man" by Freddie McCoy, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Flatjacks" by Willie Rodriguez, "Blue Gator" by Willis Jackson, and "Pedro Stroller" by Johnny Lytle. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD