2 early Capitol classics by Lou Rawls – back to back on one CD, and perfectly paired throughout! Black and Blues is quite possibly the first truly great Lou Rawls album for Capitol – an all-out swinging jazz session done with arrangements by Onzy Matthews, in a mode that firmly helped put the Lou Rawls sound on the map! The tracks are mostly older numbers from a long lineage of blues and R&B – but with hipper 60s touches by Matthews in the backings, Lou really swings the work into a whole new territory – moving older, clunky compositions into more adult, more mature modes that aren't nearly as sad or downtrodden as their roots! Titles include "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water", "Roll Em Pete", "Kansas City", "World Of Trouble", "Trouble In Mind", "Strange Fruit", and "Six Cold Feet Of Ground". Tobacco Road was a real breakthrough for Lou – a set that again paired him with arranger Onzy Matthews, and which even more deeply explored the unique space between jazz, soul, and the blues that became Rawls' prime territory back in the 60s! Matthews' backings are hip and jazzy throughout – filled with bold horn touches from players that include Lou Blackburn, Curtis Amy, Sonny Criss, and even Horace Tapscott – who's playing trombone here instead of his more familiar piano. Ray Crawford's guitar underscores a good number of the tracks here with that clean, lean, single-note style of his – but Lou is the clear star throughout with his deeply-voiced lyrics of older familiar tunes. Titles include his landmark reworking of "Tobacco Road", plus "Summertime", "Stormy Weather", "Rocking Chair", "Ol Man River", "St Louis Blues", and "Sentimental Journey". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" and the previously unissued "Gloomy Sunday". CD

A real breakthrough for Lou Rawls – a set that again paired him with arranger Onzy Matthews, and which even more deeply explored the unique space between jazz, soul, and the blues that became Rawls' prime territory back in the 60s! Matthews' backings are hip and jazzy throughout – filled with bold horn touches from players that include Lou Blackburn, Curtis Amy, Sonny Criss, and even Horace Tapscott – who's playing trombone here instead of his more familiar piano. Ray Crawford's guitar underscores a good number of the tracks here with that clean, lean, single-note style of his – but Lou is the clear star throughout with his deeply-voiced lyrics of older familiar tunes. Titles include his landmark reworking of "Tobacco Road", plus "Summertime", "Stormy Weather", "Rocking Chair", "Ol Man River", "St Louis Blues", and "Sentimental Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s classic from Phoebe Snow – one of those records that it seemed like everybody had to own back in the day – and for good reason! Phoebe's vocals are wonderful – laidback, but inflected with plenty of personality – at times kind of hovering in a 70s space between Minnie Riperton and Joni Mitchell, but often underscored with some folksy acoustic guitar – which makes for a nice contrast to the jazzy backings! Arrangements are a masterpiece of understatement – really letting Snow's spirit come right up front in the mix – and our hat's off to Pat Williams for some great work on the record. Titles include "Two Fisted Love", "Inspired Insanity", "Pre-Dawn Imagination", "All Over", "Isn't It A Shame", "Sweet Disposition", and "No Regrets". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest work ever from The Staple Singers – early gospel recordings for Vee Jay Records, mostly recorded in a spare vocal group mode that's greatly different from their later fame at Stax! The style here is quite traditional and earthy – near-acapella vocals often just supported by a bit of guitar to underscore some of the bluesier elements of the tunes. The approach is great, and perfectly recorded – in a way that's still gospel, but which shows plenty of early soul leanings too – a style that's different than most of the group's contemporaries, and which certainly hints at their later direction. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest work ever from The Staple Singers – early gospel recordings for Vee Jay Records, mostly recorded in a spare vocal group mode that's greatly different from their later fame at Stax! The style here is quite traditional and earthy – near-acapella vocals often just supported by a bit of guitar to underscore some of the bluesier elements of the tunes. The approach is great, and perfectly recorded – in a way that's still gospel, but which shows plenty of early soul leanings too – a style that's different than most of the group's contemporaries, and which certainly hints at their later direction. CD features 17 tracks that include "Swing Low", "Uncloudy Day", "I Know I Got Religion", "Low Is The Way", "I'm Coming Home (parts 1 & 2)", "The Day Is Passed & Gone", "This May Be The Last Time", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "Too Close", "Let's Go Home", and "Sit Down Servant". CD

One of the deepest soul records ever issued by Chess Records – and the album wasn't even done in Chicago! The album's the only full effort issued under the name of Kim Tolliver – a singer who'd worked previously for Fantasy as Kimberley Briggs – and it's a sublime effort from Tolliver and husband Fred Briggs, who'd worked together previously on work for Stax by Margie Joseph! The style here is quite unique – a mix of Kim's southern soul-styled vocals with some fuller, richer touches – almost in the same way that Gloria Scott comes across on her classic album with Barry White – but a bit more rough around the edges overall. The production is amazing – with a great sense of space and style – and some key use of echo that really underscores the emotion of the tunes. A good part of the album was recorded in Miami – with echoes of the TK modes of the time – but other recording was also done in Cleveland, which might account for the more unique aspects of the set. Regardless of location, though, the album's a tremendously individual effort – a bold, raw statement from Tolliver – filled with emotion that few of her contemporaries could match, and free of any crossover soul cliches that were really bogging down other artists at the time. Most tracks here are original – as original in conception as the sound of the record – and titles include "The Other Side Of Town", "The Way He Used To", "She Don't Know You Like I Do", "Takin A Woman's Stand", "I'm Losing The Feeling", "Learn To Get Along Without You", and "I Need You/Drop Whatever You're Doing". CD

Sublime swamp rock from the great Tony Joe White – one of his groundbreaking albums cut for the Monument label at the end of the 60s – a killer blend of southern rock steeped in funky soul! The backings are heavy in Hammond and fuzzy guitars – underscored by some really mighty drums, and just a bit of horns – giving the set a vibe that's somewhere between Memphis and Muscle Shoals, but with a definite detour into the garagey underground too! The grit in the grooves is totally wonderful – able to play on both sides of the fence – and titles include the funky "Woodpecker" – plus "Rainy Night In Georgia", "Elements & Things", "For Le Ann", "Old Man Willis", "Woman With Soul", and "The Migrant". (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album