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Plenty of Chicago overtones here – thanks to the Windy City setting of the recording, and to contributions from Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, and Robert Barry on drums! Daniele D'Agaro is no stranger to this scene – and his tenor and clarinet are right at home in the lineup – finding free spaces of expression to voice his presence strongly, yet also moving in ways that clearly inspire the other musicians – especially on the more compositional tracks on the set. Titles include variations on the Ellington numbers "Melancholia" and "Sweet Zurzday" – plus "Ultramarine #13", "Chicago Beer Coaster", "Dick's Holler", and "Barry K". CD

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Titles include "Animal", "I Adore You", "Leaving You", "Get Your Fingers Wet", and "Stop Look What You're Missing". CD

2 killers from The Bar-Kays – a heavy funk spectacular all the way through! First up is Gotta Groove – amazing work from the new version of The Bar-Kays – a group who reformed to become a combo as heavy as any of the best funky groups from Detroit, LA, or New York at the time! There's a style here that's a sweet Memphis distillation of ideas bubbling under in music by Sly Stone, Funkadelic, and others – taken to new territory here by a group that was already steeped in 60s soul instrumental sounds! The cuts show a great ear for simple hooks and playful instrumental twists and turns – still with a bit of the trumpet used on Bar-Kays work of the past, but more in a groove that lets the guitar step out nicely with psychedelic soul undercurrents! Tracks include "In The Hole", "Funky Thang", "Grab This Thing", "Street Walker", "Humpin", and "Don't Stop Dancing To The Music (parts 1 & 2)". Black Rock is an album that's every bit as great as the title might imply – heavy guitar-based funk from the second version of The Bar-Kays – one that uses the new instrumental focus to push a groove that's much more black rock than before! There's still a bit of trumpet from the past, but the sound here is much heavier on the bottom – and really fuzzes up the guitar nicely at times to create a hipper sort of soul instrumental vibe! The rhythms are quite hip too – with echoes of the experiments in soul going on at Stax in the work of Isaac Hayes and others – and the album's miles away from the work that the group was laying down a few years before! Definitely one of the hardest-hitting Stax albums of the early 70s – and filled with great tracks like "You Don't Know Like I Know", "Dance To The Music", "Piece Of Your Peace", "Montego Bay", and "Baby I Love You". CD

A pair of Mercury Records gems from the Bar-Kays – back to back in a single set! First up is Too Hot To Stop – a pivotal album from The Bar-Kays – a key post-Stax set, but one that's still very firmly grounded in Memphis funk! The groove definitely shows a bit more polish than before – the same sort of shift the Ohio Players made after moving to Mercury Records – but as with the Players at their best, there's still plenty of sharp edges and deeply funky moments on the record – and if anything, the shift has really given The Bar-Kays a way to evolve their sound past some of the heavier modes of the early days, without losing any of the appeal of their groove! Some cuts have some great keyboards – almost producing a spacey funk feel at points – and titles include "Too Hot To Stop (part 1)", "You're So Sexy", "Cozy", "Spellbound", "Whitehouseorgy", and the nice mellow track "Summer Of Our Love". Flying High is a killer too – a great step forward for The Bar-Kays – an album that actually has them taking on a few mellower moments, amidst the heavy funk you might expect – yet all without softening their groove at all! The album's very much in the best spirit of the group's Mercury debut – still recorded in Memphis, with production that's tight, but never uptight – enough to firmly put the group at the top of the funk superstar scene of the mid 70s, yet never sell out the rich Memphis groove that first got them going! Titles include "You Can't Run Away", "Let's Have Some Fun", "Can't Keep My Hands Off You", "Whatever It Is", and "Shut the Funk Up". CD

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Tracks include "What Is This Thing Called Love," "Dear John," as well as original compostions. CD

An amazing collection – filled with rare material, live recordings, and other gems that will help expand the all-too-small catalog of Faces albums! Completely essential if you love The Faces – with lots of new stuff. CD

Nice mix with tracks from Jurassic Five, Donna Summer, Craig Mack, De La Soul, Sylvia Striplin, Erykah Badu, Dusty Springfield, Jackson 5, SWV and others. 34 tracks total! CD

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4 full length sets of mid 80s Sugar Minott dancehall – Buy Off The Bar, Rydim, Time Longer Than Rope and the joint Sugar Minott & Leroy Smart effort Rockers Award Winners – all from '84 and '85 and together in a single box set! A wealth of mid 80s dancehall from a pivotal source! First up is Buy Off The Bar, featuring main tracks and dubs including "Buy Off The Bar", "Can't Cross The Border", "Frontline". "Two Timer", "Strictly Sensei" and more. Rydim includes "Feel The Rydim", "Mass Ni Mass", "Old King Cole", "Nah Go To South Africa" and more. "Time Longer Than Rope" includes "Can't Get MeOut", "Jah You Make Me Sing", "Rockers Master" and more. Rockers Award Winners includes "Nah Follow No Fashion",, "A True", "Cell Block One" and more by Minott, plus the Smart rockers "Girls Are Skanking", "Give Love A Try", "Reggae Music" and more. CD

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Nice mix with tracks from Roy Ayers, Groove Armada, The Wiseguys, Mantronix, The Family Stand, Soul II Soul, Loose Ends, Blondie, Jurassic 5, Les Rythmes Digitales, Cassius, Masters At Work, Desmond Dekker, and much more. CD

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Crazy rhythms, joyous postpunk, frenetically catchy melodies – and to put it all simply, one of the best albums of its time! The jittery guitars by Glenn Mercer and Bill Million pretty much pave the way for indie rock guitar for the 2 decades to come, all of the oddball additional percussion by everyone in the band bring plenty of crazy to the sound, and the songs are unbelievably catchy. The crazy rhythms are just part of the incredible sound. It should be against the law for this album to be out print! Titles include "The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness", "Fa Ce-La", "Loveless Love", "Forces At Work", "Original Love", their wild cover of "Everybody's Got Something To Hide (Except For Me And My Monkey)", "Raised Eyebrows" and "Crazy Rhythms". CD

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A wild set of early 70s leftfield folk from Caroline Peyton – a freewheeling batch of tunes that's a little bit more out there than the warmer, sunshine folk soul of the later Intuition album – but a unique gem that's a great showcase for Caroline's stunning voice, and the songwriting of partner Mark Bingham. The duo's creative origins trace back to a hippie commune outside of Bloomington, Indiana – and the tunes often feel like an unselfconscious, artier riff on the Cali folk scene of the time. The arrangements are built around the voice, and piano on many of the tracks. Unconventional, but warm and true – well worth a late discovery. Original album tracks include "The Sky In Japan Is Always Close To You", "Pull", "Don Beggs", "Tuna", "Engram", "Sweet Misery", "Hook", "Gone For A Day" and more. The Numero/Asterisk reissue goes the extra mile with liner notes by Edd Hurt, lots of photos, and bonus tracks including "Breathe (Live)", "Alll This Waiting", "Paths Of Light", "White Teeth" and enhanced video footage – "Call Of The Wild" and "Fishing Blues" live at the Hummingbird Cafe, in Bloomington, Indiana. CD

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A fantastic mid 80s set from the deservedly worshipped Feelies – a record we'll go on the record as loving just as deeply as the even more iconic Crazy Rhythms from a half dozen years earlier! Good Earth is a more jangly gem than Crazy Rhythms, and it's a record that somehow makes a fairly simple rhythm guitar driven sound into something majestic – with the Velvets inspired vocals by Glenn Mercer as endearing as ever. Hypnotic and pure genius, whether it's the tunes with acoustic guitars or the more frentic electric tunes with faster drums and guitar solos, we couldn't recommend it any higher! REM's Peter Buck produced, and this record is as important to us as any of the great work he honed at his day job in Georgia. Titles include "On The Roof", "The High Road", "The Last Roundup", "Slipping (Into Something)", "When Company Comes", "Let's Go", "Two Rooms", "The Good Earth", "Tomorrow Today" and "Slow Down". CD

A pretty amazing album from vocalist Caroline Peyton – a eclectic set from '77 that manages to cohesively blend pop, country, soul, folk and even a touch of disco-styled funk – but it all holds together masterfully thanks to credible craftsmanship and especially to Caroline's lovely vocals! Caroline has an incredible voice – and she's given plenty of room on these tracks to really fill the room with it. Some of tunes wouldn't be out of place at all in the Laurel Canyon scene, but she also handles a more diverse palette of styles. One track, "Party Line" takes a left turn towards club soul, and despite being a bit of an anomaly, it somehow feels right in place with the rest of it. there's an honest, midwestern aura here that shines through wonderfully. Caroline and songwriter/producer Mark Bingham made impeccable team on the couple of underappreciated records they made together in the 70s, and Intuition is a true gem! Original album tracks include "Still With You", "Together", "Donkey Blues", "Call Of The Wild", "Just As We", "You Too", "Brister", All This Waiting" and "Light Years". Numero/Askerisk goes the extra mile with this well done revisit – with nice liner notes by Edd Hurt, photos, and 7 bonus tracks, including demos, outakes and more – including "Shake Down", "Another Today", "Try To Be True", "Spin" and more. CD

A wild set of early 70s leftfield folk from Caroline Peyton – a freewheeling batch of tunes that's a little bit more out there than the warmer, sunshine folk soul of the later Intuition album – but a unique gem that's a great showcase for Caroline's stunning voice, and the songwriting of partner Mark Bingham. The duo's creative origins trace back to a hippie commune outside of Bloomington, Indiana – and the tunes often feel like an unselfconscious, artier riff on the Cali folk scene of the time. The arrangements are built around the voice, and piano on many of the tracks. Unconventional, but warm and true – well worth a late discovery. Original album tracks include "The Sky In Japan Is Always Close To You", "Pull", "Don Beggs", "Tuna", "Engram", "Sweet Misery", "Hook", "Gone For A Day" and more. The Numero/Asterisk reissue goes the extra mile with liner notes by Edd Hurt, lots of photos, and bonus tracks including "Breathe (Live)", "Alll This Waiting", "Paths Of Light", "White Teeth" and enhanced video footage – "Call Of The Wild" and "Fishing Blues" live at the Hummingbird Cafe, in Bloomington, Indiana. CD

Juan Garcia's at his best here on Exploring New Sounds In Stereo – gazing into a telescope on the cover, looking at the stars and contemplating his next musical direction. For that, the session leaps into a swinging hi-fi mode that brings the hi-ghest fi-delity to the band's nutty approach to arrangements. Esquivel's definitely swinging on a star here – especially on the cuts "My Blue Heaven", "Spellbound", "Whatchamacalit", "La Ronde", and "Bella Mora". Despite the "strings" in the title on Strings Aflame, this one actually swings quite well, and has a bit of an exotic gypsy flavor to it, augmented by cool spacey production that makes the strings hum with a strange other-worldly tonality. The set's filled with the usual crazy Esquivel arrangements, and includes the cuts "Turkish March", "Andalusian Sky", "Misirlou", and "Gypsy Lament". CD

The classic debut of this witty group – with titles that include "Youth Culture Killed My Dog", "Rabid Child", "Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes", "Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head", and "Rhythm Section Want Ad". CD

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26 rare Detroit soul singles – all cut by the many lovelies who recorded in the city, but never got as big as some of the huge stars on the Motown label. That's a-ok with us, though, because these gals have a raw, honest quality that's really refreshing – and finding this set is like unlocking a treasure trove of a lost soul tradition. Titles include "Midnight Johnny" by Liz Lands, "Goodbye Cruel World" by Linda Griner, "Lonely Lonely Girl Am I" by The Velvettes, "You're Gonna Love My Baby" by Barbara McNair, "I Got A Feeling" by Barbara Randolph, "Baby Boy" by Juanita Williams, "Sweetheart Darling" by Rose Batiste, "I'm Spellbound" by Tamiko Jones, "Keep On Lovin Me" by Frances Nero, and "You Need Me" by The Lewis Sisters. CD

Music from Dick Kent, Bobbi Blake, The MSR Singers, Norm Burns & Singers, Rod & The MSR Singers, Gene Marshall, The Music Magicians, Bill Joy, Rod Rogers With The "Swinging Strings", Teri Summers & The Librettos, Rodd Keith, and ,ore - 28 tracks in all. CD

Lots of heavy love here – a wonderful sense of rapport between the great tenorist Al Cohn and piano genius Jimmy Rowles! Both musicians were still recording heavily at the time of this album, but the record seems to capture them in a really special space that still stands strongly on its own – a mode that's much more relaxes than some of the Pablo Records sessions of the time, and which has Cohn in an especially striking mode – really hitting these openly-blown, often-angular lines that are dripping with soul – more heart and feeling than we might normally expect from him, matched equally by Jimmy Rowles' wonderful phrasing on piano – very much here at the top shelf level he delivered with Stan Getz on The Peacocks album. Titles include "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", "Bar Talk", "These Foolish Things", "Them There Eyes", and "Sweet & Lovely". Features the bonus track "For All We Know". CD

Two rare European records from Freddy Cole – best known to most of us in the US as a jazz singer! One More Love Song is surprisingly soulful set from Freddy – quite different than some of the straighter jazz vocals he's cut over the years! This rare gem was recorded in The Netherlands in the mid 70s – and features backings from Jerry Van Rooyen and Tony Noite, both of whom mix jazzy inflections with fuller orchestrations – helping to bring Cole's rich background into a whole new light! Freddy's voice still has that wonderful trademark rasp – familiar to, yet quite different than brother Nat – and the use of some smoother soul modes makes for a really great contrast. Titles include "One More Love Song", "I Loved You", "I Need You So", "Still Wanna Be With You", "Isn't She Lovely", and "Here Is Where Your Love Belongs". Right From The Heart has Freddy Cole taking on a mix of adult ballads and some groovier numbers – set to arrangements by John Gally, Hennie Bekker, and Steve Gray – and recorded in London with a nicely mature feel. There's a bit of polish to the production, especially on the more upbeat cuts – but the mellower numbers still have Cole singing in a great old school mode. Titles include "The Girl From The Piano Bar", "To Be With You", "Teach Me Tonight", "Summer Love", "Somewhere Down The Line", and "Right From The Start". CD

A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on the Just Sunshine label – very hard, heavy, freaky, and fuzzy – with lots of sharp-edged guitar licks wrapped up around Davis' badass vocals – which have just as much attitude as ever! It's not clear why the album never saw the light of day back in the 70s, but it's an essential follow-up to Davis key classics – undeniably funky music by one of the most unique figures ever in soul – the kind of set that would have been a bomb, had it dropped in the 70s – and which will have an even greater impact when let loose in the 21st Century. Titles include "Stars Starve You Know", "Bottom Of The Barrel", "Crashin From Passion", "Whorey Angel", "It's So Good", "Is It Love Or Desire", "Bar Hoppin", and "Let's Get Personal". CD

A musical gift from trumpeter Dave Douglas – working here in a quartet that features some fantastic work on tneor from James Brandon Lewis! Lewis is becoming a musician who's as fluid and adaptable as Douglas has been over his many years and many projects – and the pair explore some great sonic space in the company of guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang – both players who create the sort of unconventional setting that always makes Dave sound his best. Bhatia's got an especially great style – these colors that shift in shape and tone with slight edges, and a sense of pacing that's very unique – which, when coupled with the performances of Douglas and Lewis, makes for an album that might be one of the best Greenleaf releases in eyars. Titles include "Day Dream", "Blood Count", "Third Dream", "Small Bar", "Rain Check", and "Gifts". CD

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". CD

An underground set from early 70s Stax Records – the only set cut back in the day by Ernie Hines – a really great singer who works here with a blend of southern soul and sweet harmony modes! The album's got a pretty laidback vibe, which is great – almost in the same space as The Temprees, with an undercurrent of super-dope arrangements, and Ernie's lead vocals right up front in the mix! There's a bit of strings on the set, and most tracks have some sort of harmony support behind Hines' lead – a vibe that's a bit different, and maybe almost more east coast than the usual Stax set. Arrangements are by Wardell Quezquerque, Dale Warren, Lester Snell, and Tom Nixon – and both The Bar Kays and The MGs play on the record. Titles include the sample classic "Our Generation" – plus "Electrified Love", "Sugar Plum", "Change Is Gonna Come", "Your Love (Is All I Need)", and "Come On Y'All". CD

Both classic albums from Luther Ingram – issued back to back on a single CD! I've Been Here All The Time is a tremendous little set from Luther Ingram – proof that the singer had way more to offer than just his famous southern soul singles! The record's got a really deep feel from the start – kind of a slow-burning sound that moves way past easy soul music styles, and offers up Ingram as one of the most mature singers of his generation. The Bar-Kays handle some of the backings, and they're also quite good here too – much rootsier at times than on their own records, but still with a hint of funk as well. Titles include "Ghetto Train", "I'll Just Call You Honey", "Since You Don't Want Me", "I'll Love You Until The End", "Be Good To Me Baby", "Ain't That Loving You", and "You Were Made For Me". The second album is wonderful mellow soul from Luther Ingram – and a record that gave the south one of its greatest soul anthems of the 70s! "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" is one of those genre-defining tunes – a slow-burning track that shows a new level of maturity for southern soul in the 70s – sweetly sad vocals from Luther right out front of the mix, supported with bubbling backings that ooze sex throughout – and a message of pride in the face of love that had an undeniable impact on a whole generation. The rest of the album's equally great – done with slightly fuller backings at times, and a more familiar Memphis soul groove at others – a perfect showcase for the mighty talents of Ingram at this high point of his career. In addition to "If Loving You Is Wrong", other titles include "Dying & Crying", "I Remember", "I Can't Stop", "Love Ain't Gonna Run Me Away", and "I'll Be Your Shelter". 21 tracks in all – and 14 pages of detailed notes and photos! CD

Gentle Rain, and a very gentle sound from Irene Kral – a wonderfully intimate album that has the vocalist working with only the piano of Alan Broadbent for accompaniment! Kral's always a pretty expressive singer, but she sounds especially so here – really getting a lot of space to stretch out, and inflect the tunes her own way – bringing a richly personal approach to the record, almost as if we're capturing the lyrics as snippets of overheard conversation at the end of a bar, instead of in standard vocal modes. The tracks are very well chosen too – and include versions of Dave Frishberg's "The Underdog" and "You Are There" – plus "If You Could See Me Now", "The Gentle Rain", "Blue Gardenia", and "What's New". CD

Strong second album from Massive Attack! Protection sets the stage with stunning one-two punch of the title track and "Karmacoma" – 13+ minutes of flawless, hypnotic trip hop with a strong sense of moody soul, thanks in the always impeccable (to this point, anyway) production and all the more wonderful thanks to some strong guest vocals by Tracey Thorn. If the opening couple tracks set the bar a little to high to be sustained to the end, there's still a lot to love here, and the other titles include "Weather Storm", "Spying Glass", "Better Things", "Eurochild", "Sly", "Heat Miser" and "Light My Fire". CD

A pair of later Maze albums – back to back in a single set, and with bonus tracks too! First up is Silky Soul – a late 80s album, but one that has the smooth soul genius very much at the top of his game! Frankie's work from the 70s inspired countless imitators in the next decade – but after so many other male singers trying to cop his game, Beverly can still do it better than the rest – with this easygoing, effortless style that's never commercial or cheesy – and which continues to raise the bar for sophisticated soul! Grooves are mostly in that perfect midtempo stepping style that seems to work best for Frankie – and the overall instrumentation and production are far more timeless than some of the other big records of the period – with a style that places the set very strongly in the best Maze tradition. Titles include "Can't Get Over You", "Silky Soul", "Just Us", "Love's On The Run", "Mandela", and "Songs Of Love". CD features bonus tracks – "Africa", "Mandela (radio edit)", and "Love's On The Run (rmx)". Next up is Back To Basics – a really well-titled set from Frankie Beverly & Maze – as the album takes the group right back to the mellow-stepping sound that first made them great back in the 70s! Production's a bit more updated, but still very laidback – and there's a smoothly-grooving glow to the record we totally love – a perfect format for Frankie's always-amazing vocals, updated just slightly for the 90s. The production values are never too polished, and the songwriting is still great – on titles that include "Love Is", "the Morning After", "Laid Back Girl", 'What Goes Up", "In Time", "All Night Long", "Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", and "Twilight". CD features bonus tracks – "Laid Back Girl (edit)", "What Goes Up (radio)", and "What Goes Up (smooth mix)". CD

Rob Mazurek is one of the most collaborative musicians we know – but this time around, he's completely solo, but handling a range of instruments that might usually be associated with a larger group! In addition to his familiar trumpet and pocket trumpet work, Rob's creating sounds here on prepared and regular piano, bells, shakers, flutes, and percussion – and also using a bit of sampler work, his voice, and even a bucket too – all in the kind of spontaneously spiritual styles he's unlocked in improvisations with other players in recent years! The sound is wonderful – maybe a more intimate take on the Exploding Star vibe – and titles include "Sbagliato", "Bar Basso", "Moss Covered Hips", "Collectors Of Bones", "Collimated & Trestled", and "Magic Yellow Bucket". CD

A tremendous first outing as a leader for Japanese saxophonist Kosuke Mine – one of our favorite players of the 70s, already sounding wonderful here right at the start! The album's got a freewheeling vibe – not entirely avant, and maybe more in the modal territory unlocked by Miles Davis a few years before – although with a very different vibe, given the Mine's in the lead on alto! Yet the group also features some very Miles-like use of electric piano – handled here by Masabumi Kikuchi, a key young contemporary of Mine, and one who'd gotten a bit more of a head start in the world of recording – really adding a lot to the record here, next to the very forward-thinking rhythm duo of American players Larry Ridley on bass and Lenny McBrowne on drums! All tracks are nice and long, and most are originals – the kind of open, long-spun cuts that really herald all the great changes taking place on the Japanese jazz scene at the time. Titles include "Little Abbi", "McPhee", "Love Taken", "Morning Tide", and "Bar L'Len". CD

Anita O'Day pays tribute to Downbeat poll winners by singing vocal versions of their big hits in this lively set of jazz tracks from the 50s! Arrangements are by Marty Paich and Russ Garcia, both swinging as nicely as they ever did – and the setting of the album keeps Anita nicely in line, sticking to more straight jazz material than you might hear on some of her other sets from the same period. Titles include "Frenesi", "Sing, Sing, Sing", "Early Autumn", "Four Brothers", "Four", and "Night In Tunisia". CD also features 7 bonus tracks – including "Whisper Not", "Peel Me A Grape", "Star Eyes", "Hershey Bar", and "Don't Be That Way". CD

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St. Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". CD

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St. Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". CD

Three classic albums from Shoes, plus bonus tracks, and a full CD worth of rare material too! First up is Present Tense – a power-pop classic from Shoes – their first full length for Elektra Records, and a set that stands with all the best end of 70s gems from either coast! The songs are impeccable, and the group do a fantastic job of blending sharper guitars with really great lyricism – a mode that maybe makes the Illinois group a strong precursor for territory that The Replacements wouldn't hit until many years later – and which makes just about every track on the album a precious nugget that just gets better and better with time! Titles include "Now & Then", "Every Girl", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Three Times", "In My Arms Again", and "Too Late". On Tongue Twister, Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". On Boomerang, Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". 4CD set features a huge amount of bonus material – 8 track demo versions of all three albums, added to their discs – and a bonus CD of 18 more rare tracks – all in a box, with a big booklet of notes! CD

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme". CD

An incredible album from Mel Torme – easily his best set ever, and a record that helped raise the bar for all other singers back in the 50s! A key part of the success of the set is the presence of Marty Paich as an arranger – as Marty swings the whole thing with a fluid groove that's really amazing, and which is a style that hadn't ever been done on record this well before. The group is filled with hip west coast players like Pete Candoli, Jack Montrose, Bob Cooper, and Bud Shank – all of whom really soar together, and elevate Mel's vocals from the older velvet fog mode, into a leaner, hipper style that's really tremendous! Titles include "The Blues", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Lulu's Back In Town", "The Carioca", "Sing For Your Supper", and "Lullaby Of Birdland". CD

A jazz vocal masterpiece from Sarah Vaughn – one of her greatest albums ever, and a record that raised the bar for countless vocal sessions in years to come! Sarah's working here in an intimate group arranged by Ernie Wilkins – filled with famous trumpet solo work by Clifford Brown, during his last few years on the planet – plus tenor from Paul Quinichette, flute from Herbie Mann, and piano from Jimmy Jones. Sarah's vocals are incredible – curving, turning, and lilting with a tremendous amount of jazz-based inflection – and titles include "Lullaby Of Birdland", "April In Paris", "September Song", "He's My Guy", and "I'm Glad There Is You". CD

A special 50th Anniversary set of the legendary Wattstax Concert in 1972 – a magical music moment that had the Memphis soul powerhouse Stax Records filling the Los Angeles Coliseum with some of its best artists – all to celebrate the pride and power of the community in Watts! This set features a distillation of the much longer concert, along with one never-issued track – titles that include "Baby" by Carla Thomas, "Old Time Religion" by The Golden 13, "I've Been Lonely For So Long" by Frederick Knight, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "I'll Take You There" by Staple Singers, "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays, "Hearsay" by Soul Children, "The Breakdown" by Rufus Thomas, "Ain't That Loving You" by David Porter, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Explain It To Her Mama" by The Temprees, "Precious Lord Take My Hand" by Deborah Manning, "I Am Somebody" by Jesse Jackson, and "Shaft" by Isaac Hayes – plus the never-issued "I Shall Not Be Moved" by Eric Mercury. CD