Big Mama Thornton delivers the goods on this collection of raw, rootsy blues. Nothin' but the real deal on this firey live set that captures Big Mama in 1969 at a small club in LA alongside Jay Hodges, George Smith, Bee Houston and JD Nicholson, shouting out "Little Red Rooster", "One Black Rat", "Rock Me Baby", "Wade In The Water", "Sweet Little Angel", "Baby Please/Mojo Workin'", "Watermelon Man" and "Don't Need No Doctor". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from this famous singer who helped lay the groundwork for rock and roll in the early 50s – featuring arrangements by Rene Hall and Everett Minor, and titles that include "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Funky Broadway", "Ain't Nothin You Can Do", "Let's Go Get Stoned", "Rollin Stone", and "Ball & Chain". LP, Vinyl record album

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A surprisingly charming album from Scatman Crothers – recorded during his big comeback stretch in the 70s! Although Scatman's role during this time was often reduced to being the colorful old guy in an assortment of comedies and action films, he'd actually had quite a bit of experience as a singer – a rich history drawn on for this traditionally grooved set! The album was recorded for Motown, but echoes with an older mode that belies Crothers' work on an older west coast scene – with jazzy arrangements that have a nice swing based feel that goes great with the raspy, playful lyrics. Titles include "Hay Lawdy Mama", "I'm The Melody Man", "Dead Man's Blues", "Waiting For My Baby", and "Wondering". LP, Vinyl record album

Jug's big and bad here in tone – and the style is nicely complicated at times – a bit more open-ended and electric than before, with a sound that's almost like the shift that Stanley Turrentine was making during his years at CTI! There's still a bit of the previous Prestige funk in the mix – thanks to drums from Billy Cobham, and organ from Sonny Phillips – but the group also includes up-and-comer Maynard Parker on guitar, who gets in some nicely snakey lines at times – slinking through the tunes with a warmly chromatic edge that's mighty nice, and which sets the tune for some of Ammons' more laidback solo moments. His tenor's still as strong as ever, though – blown with a beautiful sense of tone, on tracks that include "Lady Mama", "Big Bad Jug", "Lucille", "Fly Me", and "Fuzz" – plus a nice version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" with a sweetly gentle break! LP, Vinyl record album

Bass pedals, midtempo rhythms, and a sublime early 80s groove – a cut that crossed over big but still sounds great today – and a wonderful mix of styles that's easily one of the standouts from the time! The keys are electric, but never too cold – and Junior's vocals on the hook really keep the tune burning brightly! 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Red Callendar on bass, John "Ironman" Harris on drums, Dinky Morris on saxophones, Jimmie Noone on tenor and clarinet, Curtis Peagler on alto, Snooky Young on trumpet, and special guest Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis on tenor. Titles include "Big Fat Daddy", "Piney Brown", "Finance Company Blues", "How Long Blues", and "Reel Ya Deel Ya Dee Dee Dee". LP, Vinyl record album

A great entry in this wonderful series – a set that's full of rare 7" singles from the late 60s and early 70s, but with a vibe that's very different than other collections of this nature! As with previous volumes, the sound is warm and uplifting – not heavy funk or deep soul, but tunes that soar and glide on soulful energy – showcasing a few early modern soul elements that were years ahead of their time, and often using just the right sort of production and arrangements to really expand the sound of a singer or harmony vocal group! The whole thing's wonderful – fantastic rare soul listening all the way through – and titles include "Standing In The Way" by Charles Williams, "Reason To Survive" by Rance Allen Group, "Consider The Source" by Leon Haywood, "Oh Mama" by CM Lord, "Thank You Girl For Loving Me" by Enchantment, "The Game Is Over" by Brown Sugar, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "Too Late"b y Tavares, and "My Heart Is Closed For The Season" by Bettye Swann. LP, Vinyl record album

13 tracks of Eddie's classic Stax sides, with a range of material that runs from 60s through 70s. A handful of big hits, and a big batch of lesser known, but still great Memphis soul from Floyd. Includes "I've Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)", "Bring It Home To Me", "Check Me Out", "Soul Street", "I've Got To Have Your Love", "Blood Is Thicker Than Water", "Don't Tell Your Mama", "Why Is The Wine Sweeter (On The Other Side)", "California Girl", "My Girl", "The Best Years Of My Life", "Yum Yum Yum (I Want Some)" and "Baby Lay Your Head Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Decca album lead by the smoky vocals of Beverly Kenney – a really unique late 50s/early 60s jazz girl who once worked for the Dorsey brothers, the Count Basie Orchestra and others, and only ever cut a handful of albums under her own name! Sings for Playboys is an intimate, sultry batch of tunes that have a really unique feel thanks to the super spare accompaniment of just Ellis Larkins on piano and Joe Benjamin on bass. That approach does a great job of transforming your senses to the smoky, boozy after hours cabaret that must have been in mind when the recordings were conceived. The album only ever appeared briefly in the late 50s (possibly because of the unauthorized and quite obvious reference to Playboy Magazine in the title and in the cover photo) but it's sure great to see it reappear – they didn't make a lot records like this in the big band dominated recordings of the era! 12 tracks including "Do It Again", "A Woman's Intuition", "Mama, Do I Gotta?", "A Lover Like You", "A Summer Romance", "It's Magic", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a discovery – early recordings Townes Van Zandt cut in mid 60s Nashville – a couple of years before his official solo debut, and a soul shakingly beautiful mix of his country folk blues storytelling and some more rollicking numbers that work exceptionally well! One of the things that's most striking about it is how wise and knowing his songs and his voice are this early in his game, with the more intimate voice and guitar numbers sounding great. The few songs with busier instumentation work, too, and that's even more surprising give the Townes loner folk ouvre. We didn't think there could be much Townes left unreleased, especially of this quality! Titles include "Black Widow Blues", "Maryetta's Song", "Hunger Child Blues", "Black Jack Mama", "When Your Dream Never Dies", "Big Country Blues", "Gypsy Friday", "Colorado Blues", "Black Crow Blues" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Features "Suitcase Blues" by Sippie Wallace, "Trouble In Mind" by Jimmy Witherspoon, "Make Me A Pallet On The Floor" by Mama Yancey, "St Louis Blues" by Big Joe Turner, "Every Time" by Lil Green, "Destination Love" by Wynonie Harris, "Rain Is A Bringdown" by Ruth Brown, "I Don't Want To Be President" by Percy Mayfield and much more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection – mostly 60s work by artists who include Big Mama Thornton, Lowell Fulson, Fred McDowell, Jesse Fuller, Earl Hooker, Mercy Dee, Big Walter, Mance Lipscomb, George Coleman, Bukka White, Black Ace, and others – with lots of Arhoolie tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Mr Bongo really goes back to its roots here – and returns to the kind of rare global gems that first made us fall in love with the label in the first place! Over 20 years ago, Mr Bongo were one of the key global forces in opening up people's ears to the sounds of funk and soul from around the globe – digging up rare nuggets from out of the way places that might have echoed American styles, but turned them on their ear – or the kinds of cuts that were completely unique, but which could stand next to the kind of funky 45s that were being sampled for hip hop! This collection brings together some of the best cuts that continue that legacy – some rare singles, some obscure European tracks, and lots of others you never would have discovered otherwise – with titles that include "Deixa A Tristeza", "Piranha" by Alipio Martins, "Seara De Oxala" by Barbosa, "Mathar" by Dave Pike Set, "Freak" by Tappa Zukie, "Mama Hot Daddy Cool" by Big Youth, "Fish & Funjee" by Lantei Lamptey, "Karam Bani" by Buari, "Handsome Boy (parts 1 & 2)" by The Rwenzoris, "He's Forever" by King James Version, "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver" by Cortez, and "Can't Live Without You" by Connie Laverne. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky nuggets galore – and a fair bit of righteous numbers too – all brought together in celebration of one of the hippest record labels of the early 70s! Flying Dutchman was around for just a bit over five years – yet during that time, the label recorded all sorts of really wonderful music – a mixture of jazz, soul, funk, and other styles that really helped push the envelope at the time – as it took the torch from older labels like Impulse or Prestige, and really continued a big wave of new sounds and groovily experimental music! You'll no doubt recognize some of the cuts here – but the collection does a great job of digging deeper past the Flying Dutchman hits – bringing together some real surprises that showcase the way that the company was trying so many cool things at once, and creating music that's still the stuff of legends many years later. Titles include "Head Start" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Peaceful Man" by Esther Marrow, "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander, "Soulful Strut" by Steve Allen, "Heavy Soul Slinger" by Pretty Purdie, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, "See Saw Affair" by Cesar, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Bolivia" by Gato Barbieri, "125th Street & 7th Ave" by Oliver Nelson, "Whitey On The Moon" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Lament For John Coltrane (take 1)" by Bob Thiele. LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest albums ever from The Chambers Brothers – a set that helped them cross over big into the mainstream – shaking off their previous folksy roots with a rumbling approach to psychedelic soul! The record's got a much heavier groove than any of the group's previous work – a way of hitting a track that still holds onto their gospel-influenced roots, but which also brings in plenty of the fuzzier, funkier touches that were sparking in soul music during the late 60s – especially over at Columbia Records, where their labelmate Sly Stone was capturing a big audience with a very similar sound. The record features the full-length version of the group's massive "Time Has Come Today", an excellent psychedelic soul number that's been lifted for movies and TV shows more times than we can count – and other tracks include "People Get Ready", "Please Don't Leave Me", "In The Midnight Hour", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "All Strung Out Over You", "I Can't Stand It", "So Tired", and "Uptown". "A New Time, A New Day" has the Chambers working in a number of styles, sweating hard in a gritty version of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and to some funky percussion and call-and-response vocals on "Do Your Thing", and grooving softly on "Guess Who" and others. Other tracks include Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "Love Is All I Have", "You Have The Power - To Turn Me On", "Rock Me Mama", and "Satisfy You". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual 70s release of work from Lightnin Hopkins – one with a cryptic photo of Hopkins behind bars! The material is most likely from earlier years, though – and it captures Lightnin at his best folk blues mode – just vocals and acoustic guitar on most numbers, the latter carrying equal duties on rhythm and some great solo inflections that break out between the lyrics! Titles include "Shiny Moon", "Big Mama Jump", "Rollin Woman Blues", "Automobile Blues", "Cairo Blues", and "Bad Whiskey". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of funky guitar by Harvey Mandel – similar to some of Dennis Coffey's early work in that it's got full on guitar power, very much inspired by heavy rock, filtered through an approach that's also got plenty of funk in it! The killer track here is the classic "Baby Batter" – a great cut that starts with a hard funky break, and which rips out guitar-wise, jamming all the way through. The whole album's pretty tasty, though – and other tracks include "El Stinger", "Hank The Ripper", and "Morton Grove Mama". Production is by Abe Voco Kesh – and the set features work from Howeard Wales and Mike Melvion on organ and electric piano – plus Big Black on congas! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice lost soundtrack that accompanied this film about a Patty Hearst-type character from the mid 70s! The Stang/All Platinum label was in charge of the music, and the soundtrack features a bunch of exclusive cuts by Rhetta Hughes, The Moments, The Rimshots, and Chuck Jackson. Best of these are the Rimshots instrumentals, especially "Takin It" and "Do What You Feel". Also includes a version of "Sexy Mama", the Moments' big hit! Other tracks include "Look At Me" by Rhetta Young, "Patty" by The Moments, and "Gotta Get A Gun" by Chuck Jackson. LP, Vinyl record album

Growing brilliance from the young Archie Shepp – a record that's not just about Archie's own amazing work on the tenor, but also his keen modern vision as a leader! The combo here is an ensemble that features some of the hippest modernists of the 60s – Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur on trombone, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Howard Johnson on tuba, Charlie Haden on bass, and Tommy Turrentine on trumpet – making a rare non-bop appearance here, and further enforcing our already-high estimation of his talents! The style's somewhat in the "new thing" mode of the period, but it's also a bit more tightly arranged too – almost hitting Mingus-like modes for the bigger ensemble – balancing the force of the group together with very free, bold solo impulses from the players. Side one features the extended "Portrait Of Robert Thompson (As A Young Man)" – and side two features "Mama Too Tight", "Theme For Ernie", and "Basheer". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest hits ever for Weather Report – thanks to Joe Zawinul's leadoff track "Birdland" – one of those tunes that entered the canon immediately, and saw countless covers pop up over the years – kind of a rare thing for a jazz tune at this point in time! The track's driving, building energy shows a newly focused side to Weather Report – one that's traded some of the spacier, more experimental moments of the past for a dynamic energy that still puts them ahead of most other 70s fusion supergroups. The presence of Jaco Pastorius is felt quite strongly here – especially on the way the colors ebb and flow up from the bottom – and the way that Jaco's using his bass with the energy of a solo jazz guitar! Alex Acuna and Manolo Badrena are on percussion, and Wayne Shorter's reeds still crackle with a nice degree of soul – on titles that include "Harlequin", "Rumba Mama", "A Remark You Made", "Teen Town", "Palladium", "Havona", and "The Juggler". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from a very unique label – one started in Paris by a Malian merchant in the 80s, in order to both present sounds from his homeland, and all of the wonderful new variations that were taking place on the cross-cultural scene in France! The body of work is partly a compelling document of culture in diaspora, but more importantly presents a nice range of grooves with a vibe that's very different than mainstream music from the time – especially some of the too-commercialized records that were shifting big numbers on the world music scene. Most of these tracks have a very down to earth presentation – professional, but never overdone – mixing older styles with electric instrumentation and just a touch of studio sweetening, but hardly much at all. Titles include "Duna" by Halima Kissima Toure, "Ayebo" by Hadja Soumano, "Bolinaame" by Diaby Doua, "Tenedo" by Ami Traore, "Alla Da Fo Na" by Halima Kissima Toure, "Soso" by Mah Kouyate, "Nogome" by Lassana Hawa Cissokho, and "Kori" by Mamadou Tangoudia. Most tracks originally issued on cassette or digital – and appear here on vinyl for the first time ever! LP, Vinyl record album

A millennial classic from Erykah Badu – a record that came along right as the current century was starting up, to show a soulful path that would keep things strong for many years to come! The album grabbed a bigger audience than Erykah's first, but still kept things strong – really focusing in on that amazing vocal style that made the singer such a unique talent – and which always had edges that were sharper, and runs that were deeper, than some of her contemporaries who might be able to trick a phrase with a bit of spirit, but never deliver the whole thing in the way that Badu can! Themes are both personal and hinting at her political turns to come – and titles include "Kiss Me On My Neck", "Didn't Cha Know", "My Life", "AD 2000", "Bag Lady", "In Love With You", and "Booty". LP, Vinyl record album

A really nice album from Dave Mason & Mama Cass – one that has Dave's vocals mostly in the lead, but which also brings him much closer in style to Mama's sweet and dreamy pop mode – a lovely little psychedelic folk pop record with soulful touches! The backing is mostly by a small combo, and the feel is alternately laidback and soaring – freed from the hits sound of early 70s LA, when some of the more creative work was coming out of the bigger stars. Titles include "Pleasing You", "On & On", "To Be Free", "Here We Go Again", "Walk To The Point", "Glittering Facade", and "Too Much Truth Too Much Love". LP, Vinyl record album