A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting the tunes with gospel-inspired soul, and showing some very slight folksy touches – of the sort that would come in more heavily on later records. Backing is by a small combo, and tracks include "Plain Gold Ring", "Good Bait", "He Needs Me", "Don't Smoke In Bed", and "I Loves You Porgy". (Vocalists, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Wayne Cochran – a rare set for Bethlehem Records at the time when it was owned by King – and done in a similar style of heavy soul to his record on Chess! You might not guess it from Wayne's big white pompadour, but he's a hell of a swinger – and the album cooks with the kind of material that made him a huge crowd favorite across the southern scene – an unusual array of cuts that includes "Sister Sadie", "Mo Lasses", "I Was Made To Love Her", "Better Get It In Your Soul", "Critics Choice", and a medley of "Eleanor Rigby/Hey Jude". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s repackaging of the earlier Patti Labelle & The Bluebelles Holiday album – done in a way that makes you think it's a 70s record, but it's not! The recordings are from the early 60s – and have a sweet, warm, innocent sound that's completely wonderful – a soulful girl group take on the sound of the season, handled with instrumentation that's light and playful, yet never too kitschy to get in the way of the group's soulful vocals. Patti sounds wonderful on these tunes, with a quality that reminds us a bit of Barbara Mason in her earlier years – and titles include "White Christmas", "Blue Christmas", "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve", "The First Noel", "O Come All Ye Faithful", "Silent Night", and "Little Town Of Bethlehem". (Holiday Music, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest full albums by Patti Labelle – and a Christmas record at that! These early 60s sides have a sweet, warm, innocent sound that's completely wonderful – a soulful girl group take on the sound of the season, handled with instrumentation that's light and playful, yet never too kitschy to get in the way of the group's soulful vocals. Patti sounds wonderful on these tunes, with a quality that reminds us a bit of Barbara Mason in her earlier years – and titles include "White Christmas", "Blue Christmas", "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve", "The First Noel", "O Come All Ye Faithful", "Silent Night", and "Little Town Of Bethlehem". (Holiday Music, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A vintage Holiday recording from The Staple Singers – a set recorded back in the group's earliest, rootsiest days! The sound here is quite spare – no surprise, given that the session was done by Riverside Records, at a time when the label was pushing the gospel-influenced quartet onto folk audiences of the 60s – but it's also that spare quality that gives the record a timeless feel that holds up nicely. Instrumentation is just a bit of guitar from Roebuck Staples and organ from Maceo Woods, plus some drums – and titles include "The Last Month Of The Year", "Holy Unto The Lord", "The Savior Is Born", "Sweet Little Jesus Boy", "There Was A Star", "Silent Night", "O Little Town Of Bethlehem", and "No Room At The Inn". (Holiday Music, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album