Yes indeed – a mighty early classic from the great Ray Charles – one of his first full length albums, and a set that brings together the searing sort of work he was doing for Atlantic Records in the 50s! Ray's completely confident and at the top of his game here – and a lot more raw than if you only know him from his later country-tinged material. Tracks include "What Would I Do Without You", "It's All Right", "Get On The Right Track", "Blackjack", "I Want A Little Girl", and "Heartbreaker". LP, Vinyl record album

You know, over the years, you get exposed to so many cliches about Ray Charles that it's easy to forget how great he is – but you won't after hearing this set! This totally essential box pushes way past any other collection to pull together the raw early R&B sides by Ray – much harder stuff than any of his later country soul work, and way more rockin than even his instrumental sides that show up more as "jazz" efforts. No, this stuff kicks ass – and is right up there with the best 50s R&B work by artists like Tiny Bradshaw, Wynonie Harris, or Ray Brown. Plus, a huge amount of the cuts on here never really appeared on full LPs, so it's not like you'll be able to track them down that easily on other reissues. There's a wealth of excellent material here that will open up a whole new side of Ray for you – and which will fill in loads of holes if you've already got some of his work. There's a total of 53 tracks in all, plus a great set of notes and a very handsome box – and titles include "What Kind Of Man Are You", "Get On The Right Track", "Leave My Woman Alone", "Roll With My Baby", "Jumpin In The Morning", "It Should Have Been Me", "Feelin Sad", "Mess Around", "I Wonder Who", "Blackjack", "Greenbacks", "A Fool For You", "Hard Times", "A Bit Of Soul", "I Want To Know", "It's Alright", "Ain't That Love", and "That's Enough". All cuts are vocal – and this is some of the most satisfying Ray Charles you could ever buy! CD

A well-titled album – given that Taj Mahal's music is always pretty darn rootsy – and this time around, he's also adding in a bit of Jamaican roots too, thanks to production help from Bob Marley and Aston Barrett of The Wailers! The pair help Taj out on a few numbers, mixing in some reggae rhythms with his bluesy lead – another compelling combination of modes that marks the creative apex of Taj Mahal's years on Columbia. Titles include "Johnny Too Bad", "Big Mama", "Cajun Waltz", "Slave Driver", "Blackjack Davey", and "Desperate Lover". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album