An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. (Now Sound, Vocalists) CD

(78 RPM, Vocalists) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Early Capitol material from Nat's years on 78rpm singles! LP, Vinyl record album

2 lesser-known sides of Blossom Dearie – both recorded in Paris in the 50s! The first 8 tracks on the set are from a rare 10" session recorded in 1955 – one that features Blossom only at the piano, not singing, but swinging in a solid trio format. Tracks on that session include "The Boy Next Door", "Down In The Depths Of The 90th Floor", "April In Paris", and "Blue Moon". The other 4 tracks on the set are from a 45rpm ep by Blossom's famous vocal group, The Blue Stars. The ensemble featured vocalese performances by young singers that included Christine Legrand, Jeanine De Waleyne, and Fats Sadi – and was the virtual blueprint for later jazz vocal groups, like Les Double Six or The Swingle Singers. Titles from that group include "Toute Ma Joie", "Embrasse Moi Bien", and "Toute Ma Joie". CD

(78 RPM, Vocalists) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Amazing work from the early, legendary years of Billy Eckstine – that time when he was fronting one of the hippest backing groups a vocalist could hope to have! Eckstine's voice was already becoming the stuff of legend by the time of these recordings – but thanks to contributions from a host of famous boppers, his band was getting equal fame, too – a really legendary lineup that includes such greats as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie,Kenny Dorham, and Fats Navarro on trumpets; Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, and Gene Ammons on tenor; Leo Parker on baritone; Art Blakey on drums; and many other huge names too! The band was virtually a school for a whole generation of jazzmen to come – allowing them to play together, get to know each other, and spin off in important small groups – much in the way the Kenton group a few years later allowed so much development on the west coast. And amidst all this great music, Billy's vocals have never sounded better – much bolder and hard-swinging than in later years! 2CDs, great notes, and a whopping 41 tracks in all. CD

(78 RPM, Vocalists) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

(78 RPM, Vocalists) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

An amazing set – really really beautiful, and a whopping 10CDs' worth of material that Billie Holiday recorded during the 78rpm era – for labels that include Columbia, Okeh, Vocalion, Decca, and Parlophone! The package has an oversize cover, with a giant book in the middle – and the set features Holiday singing with Duke Ellington, Teddy Wilson Eddie Heywood, Benny Goodman, and her own group as well. 239 tracks in all – and a bargain at this price! CD

(78 RPM, Vocalists) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

(78 RPM, Vocalists) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Our favorite-ever album from Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that we'd easily rank as one of our favorite soul records of the 70s! The mix of modes is mindblowing right from the start – as Gil's poetry comes into play with his growing talents as a singer, and his warm sensibility for jazz – all at a level that's light years ahead of anything any singer would have attempted a few years before – and which went onto have a huge influence for years to come. If you only know Gil from his protest work, there's a lot more here to discover – the bittersweet blend of pain and power that's always made him so fantastic. And yes, the record does include the groundbreaking "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" – but what we treasure even more is all the more personal numbers – including "Lady Day & John Coltrane", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "The Needle's Eye", "I Think I'll Call It Morning", "Save The Children", and "Pieces Of A Man". Brilliant all the way through! Limited edition pressing – 2LPs, each at 45rpm – remastered from the original tapes, with an especially strong improvement on side two! (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

(78 RPM, Vocalists) 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Maybe the most essential of all the Frank Sinatra box sets – as there's an insane amount of stuff on here that never came out on other CDs – a wealth of material from the 78rpm generation of early Sinatra! CD

A full length Riverside album that brings together two different sessions from the 78rpm years! Side one features trombonist Jack Teagarden working with an octet that also includes Rex Stewart on cornet, Ben Webster on tenor, and Barney Bigard on clarinet – and side two features clarinet genius Pee Wee Russell working with Freddie Green on guitar, Max Kaminsky on trumpet, Al Gold on tenor, James P Johnson on piano, and Dicky Wells on trombone! (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

A great collection of pre-Mercury work from Sarah Vaughan – including some obscure material from 78rpm singles! Titles include "Pinky", "Perdido", "Black Coffee", "While You Are Gone", "Just Friends", "After Hours", "Ooh Whatcha Doin To Me", "Summertime", and "I Cried For You". CD

Great work from Adam Wade – a slightly overlooked singer of the 60s, and one who steps out here in a great mix of soul styles and fuller vocal modes! Wade often has the kind of mature sophistication that could rival Johnny Mathis – and a number of cuts here are certainly cut from a similar mode – but as with other work on the Coed Records label, there's a larger ear for the wider range of listeners in the period – which means that Wade also steps out as a smooth swinger, maybe kind of a precursor to the Marvin Gaye generation. Arrangements are handled by Fred Weismantel and Joe Lipman – and titles include "First Love", "Just In Time", "A Moment Of Madness", "Ruby", "Around The World", "I'm Wise", "Fascination", and "So In Love". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool set, and one that goes way past the usual 60s soul and pop modes that usually define a girl group compilation – as this one goes way way back, and traces female harmony modes from the early swing years onwards – served up in a massive 82 track package that's overflowing with surprises! The material really shows the evolution of the mode in a great way – mixing early 78rpm tracks with postwar 45s and LP titles – in modes that include jazz, soul, R&B, and pop – all supported by the usual great French and English notes that we love from this label! CD3 features all early 60s material, with a few decades spanned on the previous 2CDs – work by artists who include Daindridge Sisters, Angels, Blossoms, Cookies, Poni-Tails, Bonnie Sisters, Beverly Sisters, Clark Sisters, Shirley Gunter & The Queens, Paulette Sisters, Chordettes, Raelettes, Quin-Tones, Paris Sisters, Royalettes, Starletts, Charmaines, Dinning Siters, Fontaine Sisters, Boswell Sisters, The Enchanters, and others. (Soul, Vocalists) CD