Brilliant modern soul from Jean Carn – 2 of her greatest albums for Philly International, back to back on one CD! Jean first got her start singing righteous jazz with husband Doug Carn for the Black Jazz label – but by the time of these albums, she was out on her own and working with the Gamble & Huff team in a whole new groove! Jean's jazz experience served her well at Philly – giving her a sense of maturity and vocal depth that made her one of the best female singers on label – as you'll hear from these 2 excellent albums. The CD features 17 tracks in all, including classics like "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "Free Love", "I'm In Love Once Again", "Happy To Be With You", and her remake of "Revelation/Infant Eyes". CD

A fantastic tribute to the great Jean Carne – a singer who started out in jazz, working with then-husband Doug Carn on spiritual sessions and drummer Norman Connors on his soulful sides of the 70s – then shifted over to the Philadelphia International label, where she really helped Philly soul find new direction moving into the 80s! Jean always brings all the sophistication of her roots into her music – making her way more than just another soul singer, and instead a vocalist with a great range of expression that has her opening up in just the right way, no matter what the setting. This excellent collection is filled with classics from her years on Philadelphia International, and also includes some rare 12" mixes and duets with other artists too. Titles include "Free Love", "No Laughing Matter", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "You Can't Come Back Now", "There's A Shortage Of Good Men", "Time Waits For No One", "Lonely Girl In A Cold Cold World", "Bet Your Lucky Star", We Got Some Catchin Up To Do", "When I Find You Love", "Was That All It Was (12" mix)", "What's On Your Mind (12" mix)", "Revelation/Infant Eyes", "Mystic Stranger", "Completeness", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – plus "I'm Back For More" with Al Johnson, "Sweet & Wonderful" with Glenn Jones, "You Might Be Surprised" with Roy Ayers, "Love Is Beautiful" and "Dreams Of Tomorrow" with Dexter Wansel, "Keep In Touch" and "The Look Of Love" with Grover Washington, and "Dindi", "Love's In Your Corner", and "Valentine Love" with Norman Connors. CD

Some great tracks from the jazzy soulful genius of Norman Connors! Connors is one of the best crossover soul jazz artists of the 70s – with a masterful blend of styles that's matched by only a few other artists, like Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson. This set includes tracks from his Buddah and Arista recordings – and the sound is classic all the way through! Titles include "You Are My Starship", "This Is Your Life", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "Valentine Love", "Dindi", "Romantic Journey, "We Both Need Each Other", "Love From The Sun", and "Once I've Been There". The "friends" are all vocalists – including Michael Henderson, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carn, Phillip Mitchell, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. CD

The amazing debut of Ledisi – presented here in the original mix and with the original cover! Ledisi's got a heck of a voice – very rich and mellow, in a style that reminds us a bit of classic work by jazzy soul singers like Jean Carn or Dee Dee Bridgewater, but with more of a bite, and more of a hip hop sensibility. The tracks on this debut set are wonderfully produced – blending together jazzy instrumentation and heavy beats with some warm soul arrangements that are both totally fresh, yet also infused with a classic approach to the music. The record's a treasure, and will be one of the best new soul albums of the past decade! Titles include "Stop Livin In Ya Head", "Hotel", "Groove On", "Free Again", "Papa Loved To Love Me", "I Wantcha Babe", "Groove On", "Get Outta My Kitchen", and "Take Time". (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

An album that has the legendary Jean Carne in the most righteous setting we've heard in years – a mode that hearkens back to the vocals she provided for organist Doug Carn on their classic 70s albums together for the Black Jazz label! Jean's a singer that we love in just about any format – her huge Philly soul albums of the 70s, her sophisticated soul of the 80s, and even more indie projects of recent years. But here, she unleashes all the pride and power she brought to her music when she started out in jazz – soaring to the skies with a spiritual vibe throughout, next to Fender Rhodes, Hammond, and other keyboards from Adrian Younge – and some great rhythms from bassist Ali Shaheed Muhammad and drummer Mekala Session! Carne wrote all the music herself, and the vocals are wonderful – material we never would have guessed she still had locked within – bursting forth here with a vibe that's completely wonderful. Titles include "People Of The Sun", "Come As You Are", "My Mystical Life", "Visions", "The Summertime", "Black Rainbows", and "Black Love". (Deep Funk, Soul) CD

16 tracks from the Jones Girls, Jean Carn, Dee Dee Sharp, Patti Labelle, Frantique, Dexter Wansel, Phyllis Hyman, Shirley Jones, and MFSB. CD

Fab Philadelphia soul on 4 CDs – a massive package of work that really serves up the best from the legendary empire of Gamble & Huff, plus a host of other great Philly numbers too! The package is a great look at the full spectrum of sound in Philly during the 70s – not just the key tracks on the Philadelphia International label, but also cuts that Gamble & Huff had produced for other artists at the end of the 60s, key Sigma Sound sessions for other labels, and some of the classic club tracks that crossed over big and inspired countless imitations! The set is immense – 4CDs, 71 songs, and a 64 page booklet of rare photos and new essays – all priced nicely enough to appeal to both Philly newcomers and longtime collectors. Plus, since Sony BMG's handling Philly International now, there's a good range of titles from a variety of labels – and titles include "Love Is Here" by The Futures, "Slow Motion (part 1)" by Johnny Williams, "Sunshine" by The O'Jays, "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You" by Wilson Pickett, "Expressway To Your Heart" by Soul Survivors, "I'm Stone In Love With You" by The Stylistics, "Be Thankful For What You Got (part 1)" by William DeVaughan, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "It's Forever" by The Ebonys, "Enjoy Yourself" by The Jacksons, "Free Love" by Jean Carn, "Kiss & Say Goodbye" by The Manhattans, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell, "Billy's Back Home" by Billy Paul, "Picture Us" by Bunny Sigler, "Then Came You" by The Spinners, "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass, "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" by Deniece Williams, and "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

One of the nicer things about the global centralization of culture into the hands of a few giant companies is that you can at least get a "greatest hits" comp like this which spans the artists career on a number of different labels! As proof, you'll find killer stuff from Jean's best years, on Buddah, Philly Intl, and Columbia – with tracks like "Back For More" with Al Johnson, "Valentine Love" with Norman Connors, "Free Love", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "Was That All It Was", "When I Find You Love", and "Closer than Close". 16 cuts in all, and way better than we expected from a US major! CD

The classiest lady of Philly Soul gets a chance to lay down some new vocal tracks in this recent recording with a nice feel! The sound is fairly strong, with the high quality modern production that characterizes other recent releases on the Expansion label. Billy Paul guests on the cut "Good Thing Goin On", and other tracks include "Make Love", "Don't Stop Doin Whatcha Doin", "Fallin For You", and "No One Does It Better". Jean also shows her jazz roots on the tracks "Someone To Watch Over Me" and "Misty". CD

Music by Roy Ayers, Teddy Pendergrass, Barry White, Loose Change, Jean Carne, Ohio Players, Salsoul Orchestra, Chi-Lites, People's Choice, the O'Jays, and others – 30 tracks total. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

14 songs from Carla Benson, Jean Carne, Tesa Williams, Ter-Ree, Kat Fontaine, Tena Riley, Fillies Finazz, and Lady J. CD