One of the most hard-hitting Jimmy McGriff albums of the 70s – a raw live date recorded in Newark – and a set that's a perfect bridge between the sharp soul of his Sue Records sessions and his later funk to come! The whole thing's got a gritty vibe the really recalls the sound of a Hammond combo in a small club back in the day – a sense of recording that's different than the usual Blue Note record, and we mean that in a good way! Future Groove Merchants Fats Theus and O'Donel Levy are both on the record – the former on tenor, the latter on guitar – and Jimmy gets plenty of room to really open up and soar on the Hammond. The group also features the lesser-known Ronald White on trumpet and Joseph Morris on alto – and titles include "In A Mellow Tone", "Groove Alley" and "Man From Bad" – and a nice cover of "Ode to Billie Joe"! CD

The sound of a legend – a raw rocking classic from Janis Joplin – arguably the most perfectly-formed record from her all-too-short run in modern music! There's a focus here that's even sharper than before – and a rising of the funky undercurrents that Janis always had in her music, matched with vocals that are some of the most soulful you could ever hope for from the blue-eyed hippie generation! The album was the last one that Janis ever recorded, and it's a classic through and through – with titles that include "Move Over", "Cry Baby", "A Woman Left Lonely", "Trust Me", "Get It While You Can", and "Mercedes Benz". Includes 4 bonus tracks too! CD

Features Dave Liebman, Jerry Gonzalez, Steve Berrios, Hilton Ruiz, and others. Tracks include "Impressions", "Senor Blues", "For Pearl", "Lonnie's Lament", and "Afro Blue". CD

Not as "adult" as you might think – at least given the way the word is used today – but pretty great work by Pearl nonetheless! The tunes themselves are a bit "blue" in terms of subject matter – tales of girls with hot pants, loose love, and the kind of backroom hijinks that weren't always talked about so freely in the torch singer era. But given the time, and the setting, the tunes are still pretty soft on the subjects – and get the themes across through clever turns of phrase, slight innuendo, and just the right intonation at the right time – a style that makes Pearl Bailey perfect for the work! The set features 21 tracks in all, and titles include "I Want A Man", "She Had To Go & Lose It At The Astor", "The Physician", "Westport", "One Man Ain't Quite Enough", "Aggravatin Papa", and "Nobody's Chasing Me". CD

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

One of the few rare non-trio recordings done by Powell from around this time. Bud plays with a trio (Paul Chambers bass, Art Taylor drums) on the whole first section of the record, but the group's then joined by Curtis Fuller for the rest of the set. Fuller's deep trombone makes for a different twist, and a slightly deeper sound than usual – especially given that the album was recorded live at Birdland. Titles include "Moose The Mooche", "Some Soul", "Blue Pearl", and "Keepin' In The Groove". CD also features an alternate take of "Blue Pearl" – and Rudy Van Gelder remastering! CD

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by hardbop trombone legend Bennie Green – an all-star sextet session that cooks like a mofo! The group features the twin tenors of Billy Root and Gene Ammons (billed just as "Jug" on the session, because of contractual reasons) – and it crackles with electricity from a rhythm section that features Ike Isaacs on bass, Sonny Clark on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums. There's some fantastic tracks on here, including Babs Gonzales' "Lullaby of the Doomed", and a monster jam called "We Wanna Cook", which was once described to us as "all you ever need to have a house party" – to which we wholeheartedly agree! Other tracks include "Black Pearl", "BG Mambo", and "Soul Stirrin" – and the album's one of the heaviest duty Blue Notes from the time! Features a bonus mono take of "Soul Stirrin". CD

Hard soul galore – a killer batch of upbeat vintage soul tunes – all pulled together from the wide range of many projects the Numero Group has handled over the years! This is the label's way of answering back to some of those overseas collections of American soul from the 60s – showing that Numero is every bit as well-tuned to the needs of Northern Soul clubbers and collectors as imprints like Ace/Kent, Outta Sight, and some of the other British labels! The package features a whopping 20 tracks in all – sock-soul groovers that you might have missed between the overstuffed track listings of other Numero compilations – sounding really great here together in the company of each other. Titles include "Wait A Minute" by Eddie Ray, "You Are My Sunshine" by Jerry Townes, "I'm Ready For Love" by Otis Brown, "Little Girl Blue" by The Webs, "Demanding Man" by The Sensations, "You're Not Loving A Beginner" by Jessie Fisher, "Do You Know What Love Is" by Syl Johnson, "Your Love Makes Me Lonely" by The Chandlers, "Stubborn Heart" by Earnest Mosley, "Look Around" by Two Plus Two, "Just Fun" by Brown Bombers & Soul Partners, and "Do The Pearl Girl (part 2)" by Matta Baby. CD

Excellent organ groovers from the great Jimmy McGriff! The set pulls together some fantastic tracks from Jimmy's years at Veep, Sue, Solid State, and Capitol – including many great short funky cuts that haven't really shown up on other reissues before. The fidelity of the set is way way better than other reissues – and the CD is filled with hard wailing Hammond groovers that will blow your mind! Jimmy's touch on the keys was amazing back in these days – filled with loads of straight jazz fire, but also touched with a keen sense of humor that has him throwing in these amazing curve balls on the keys, riffing away in surprising twists and turns that always keep the cuts interesting! Titles include "Criss Cross", "Step One", "Blue Juice", "Black Pearl", "The Worm", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Fat Cakes", "Where It's At", "Cash Box", "Kiko", "The Last Minute", and "Discotheque". CD

A great little set, even if it's not what you might expect – not the kind of cuts that heralded the early years of country soul – and instead an even cooler batch of tracks from those years when R&B and hillbilly records often crossed paths on the postwar scene! Many of the small indie labels of the 50s recorded both country and blues, sometimes even having different artists take on the same songs, but in different ways – which meant that there was often a lot of cross-pollination going on in the farther reaches of the music business! The cuts here definitely show that approach – as a good many of them were originally country hits for other singers, but sound great and very different in the hands of R&B artists – and are mixed with a few others that follow similar themes, and really fit into the set in a great way. As always with Bear Family, the whole thing is presented with great notes and details on the music – in a set list of 29 tracks that include "Steel Guitar Rag" by Earl Hooker, "Sixteen Tons" by BB King, "Lovesick Blues" by Sonny Knight, "Big Mamou" by Smiley Lewis, "Ghost Riders In The Sky" by Scatman Crothers, "It'd Surprise You" by The Griffin Brothers with Margie Day, "Indian Love Call" by Hal Singer, "No Help Wanted" by Bob Gaddy & His Alley cats, "Cherokee Boogie" by Moose Jackson, "It Makes No Difference Now" by Piano Red, and "You Can't Stay Here" by Pearl Reaves & The Concords. CD

An amazing collection – a wealth of rare R&B from the 50s years of Okeh Records – most of it only ever on 78s before, issued here in a really wonderful package! The set includes rare work from Andre Williams, Pearl Traylor, Red Rodney, Lloyd Fatman, The Shufflers, Larry Darnell, Sammy Cotton, Cliff King Solomon, Chuck Willis, Jumpin Joe Williams, Titus Turner, The Treneirs, Chris Powell, and many others! Loads of tracks – 78 cuts in all – some previously unissued, too! CD

A really wonderful take on Porgy & Bess and other Gershwin standards by Pearl Bailey – there's just something about her naturally rich, bluesy, husky tone on these tunes that's simply wonderful! The backing is often well measured, but, occasionally a bigger sound and chorus vocals kick in. For the most part Pearl owns this stuff, giving warmth and resonance lost on more showbizzy takes on the style and compositions. Titles include "I Got Plenty Of Nothin". "I Got Rhythm", "Summertime", "Lady Be Good", "A Foggy Day", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Bess You Is My Woman", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "Clap Yo Hands" and more. CD

A wonderful package – four full albums by one of the most unique groups of their time! First up is These Things Too – the first Reprise album from Pearls Before Swine – a bit more straight ahead and folksy than their work for ESP – but in a really great way, one that lets you hear the best of Tom Rapp's amazing songs and vocals! The album follows in a tradition that includes Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Leonard Cohen, and Fred Neil – but it's also got a really unique style that's the unique province of Tom Rapp – the main force behind the group, and the voice on all of the tunes. Rapp's vision was quite unique for the time – not nearly as revolutionary or personally preoccupied – more sad at the fading world, and granted with a unique ability to paint any subject in shades of blue. Titles include "Wizard Of Is", "Frog In The Window", "Footnote", "Look Into Her Eyes", "These Things Too", and "Mon Amour". Use Of Ashes is an incredibly beautiful album from Pearls Before Swine – one that uses light orchestrations to create a baroquely folksy sort of feel – easily elevating the album past previous efforts, into classic territory we'd rank with the best from Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen! The whole album's great – with fragile and haunting songs from Tom Rapp, all supported by sparsely arranged instrumentation that includes harpsichord, flute, oboe, cello, and dobro. Genius throughout – and a clear inspiration for music still being made 30 years later – with classic tracks that include "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Song About A Rose", "The Old Man", "When The War Began", and "From The Movie Of The Same Name". Next is Beautiful Lies You Could Live In – one of the most perfectly formed albums ever recorded by Tom Rapp's enigmatic group Pearls Before Swine – a record that does an incredible job of skirting between Rapp's earthy sense of the planet's passing, and his ambitions for larger forums of expression. The core group is lightly folksy – with strong use of acoustic guitar that goes far beyond any folk rock cliches – plus some additional arrangements that feature contributions from the team of Bob Dorough and Stu Scharf, who seem to have a habit of appearing on under-discovered gems like this one, and making them sound all that more hip! The whole thing's great – filled with beautiful songs that should have been as over-recorded as the best by Tim Hardin or Leonard Cohen – with titles that are even better, too! Tracks include "Snow Queen", "A Life", "Butterflies", "Simple Things", "Freedom", "She's Gone", and "Island Lady". Last up is City Of Gold – a return to folksier forms for Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine – working here in territory that's very different than some of the baroque light arrangements used on previous records. Rapp's emerging as a more confident singer/songwriter – recording in an almost Dylan-like setting, but with more of the irony of Leonard Cohen, and as always, working in a timeless idiom that's still beginning to be understood more than 30 years after its inception. Beautiful work throughout – as earthy as it is majestic – and with titles that include "My Father", "The Man", "Once Upon A Time", "City Of Gold", "Nancy", and "Wedding". CD

Amazing work from the Senegalese scene of the 70s – easily one of the hippest musical hotspots on the African continent at the time, as you'll hear by the wonderful tracks on this set! Senegalese groups really embrace a wide range of sounds – not just traditional elements, or occasional influences from American blues and soul, but also a good dose of Latin and Cuban music too – all wrapped together in uniquely different ways by each of the different artists in this set. There's a bit more diversity to the music here than on other regional collections, and that's what makes this one so great – a truly wonderful entry in the well-named African Pearls series, supported with full notes in English and French. Titles include "Hombre Misteriosoy" by Etoile De Dakar, "Senegambia" by Star Band De Dakar, "Xarit" by Orchestra Baobab, "Guethe" by Star Band De Dakar, "Faran Tamba" by Star Number One, "Daida" by Xalam, "Rele Te Contan" by Guelawar, "Nijaay" by Orchestra Baobob, "Maaduleen" by Super Diamono De Dakar, "Boubou Ngary" by Etoile 2000, "Xal Dey Mag" by Ifang Bondi, "Xadim" by N'Guewel, and "Kery Goro" by Star Number One. CD

Donald Byrd's second foray into the "with voices" genre – done in the same style as his groundbreaking New Perspective album – and with similar choral work from lyrical modernist Coleridge Perkinson! The vibe here is slightly different than the previous record – in that there's Hammond from the great Freddie Roach on a few cuts, and piano from Herbie Hancock throughout – in a stunning lineup that also includes Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Grant Green on guitar – both great players in a larger lineup like this. As before, Byrd's solos are wonderfully – soaring out over the vocals and instrumentation – with a soulful vibe that really works well with the rhythms at the core. Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson wrote all of the tunes – all really great numbers – and titles include "Pearly Gates", "March Children", "Brother Isaac", and "I'm Tryin' To Get Home". CD

Donald Byrd's second foray into the "with voices" genre – done in the same style as his groundbreaking New Perspective album – and with similar choral work from lyrical modernist Coleridge Perkinson! The vibe here is slightly different than the previous record – in that there's Hammond from the great Freddie Roach on a few cuts, and piano from Herbie Hancock throughout – in a stunning lineup that also includes Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Grant Green on guitar – both great players in a larger lineup like this. As before, Byrd's solos are wonderfully – soaring out over the vocals and instrumentation – with a soulful vibe that really works well with the rhythms at the core. Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson wrote all of the tunes – all really great numbers – and titles include "Pearly Gates", "March Children", "Brother Isaac", and "I'm Tryin' To Get Home". CD

Donald Byrd's second foray into the "with voices" genre – done in the same style as his groundbreaking New Perspective album – and with similar choral work from lyrical modernist Coleridge Perkinson! The vibe here is slightly different than the previous record – in that there's Hammond from the great Freddie Roach on a few cuts, and piano from Herbie Hancock throughout – in a stunning lineup that also includes Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Grant Green on guitar – both great players in a larger lineup like this. As before, Byrd's solos are wonderfully – soaring out over the vocals and instrumentation – with a soulful vibe that really works well with the rhythms at the core. Donald Byrd and Duke Pearson wrote all of the tunes – all really great numbers – and titles include "Pearly Gates", "March Children", "Brother Isaac", and "I'm Tryin' To Get Home". CD

Maybe the straightest jazz set we've heard to date from Kandace Springs – a record that's got a great old school vibe overall, and the sorts of moody, dark-tinged qualities that takes us back to vintage material by Abbey Lincoln or Nina Simone – something we might not have said about Kandace on previous albums! Springs plays piano, and mostly keeps things in a tight combo mode – with her vocals in the lead, but with occasional guest help from artists who include Chris Potter on tenor, Avishai Cohen on trumpet, David Sanborn on alto, Christian McBride on bass, and Norah Jones on piano and vocals – on tunes penned by artists as diverse as Bob Dorough, Hoagy Carmichael, Lauryn Hill, and Sade. Titles include "Devil May Care", "The Nearness Of You", "Strange Fruit", "Killing Me Softly", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Ex-Factor", "Pearls", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Gentle Rain". CD

An excellent early album from the amazing Little Beaver – a set that's also probably one of his best ever – served up with some extra-dope guitar, and nice deep Miami soul production by Steve Alaimo! Beaver handled all the arrangements – which means that there's plenty of room for his great guitar to come to the forefront – and this album also features some of his great vocal work, set in a style that's a lot rawer than later releases – rooted a bit more in deep soul and blues, which fits nicely with the guitar. Titles include the single "Joey", plus the long "Katie Pearl", and a nice cover of "Two Steps from the Blues", which features his funky soul guitar on a nice solo – plus the tracks "What The Blues Is", "That's How It Is", "I'm Losin the Feelin", and "Give A Helping Hand". CD

Santa's got a brand new bag here – and it's filled with a whole host of obscure and unusual soul-based Christmas tunes! There's a few numbers here you'll know as classics, but they're mixed with plenty other gems too – in a smashing set list of 27 tracks that includes "Christmas Time Again" by Reuben Anderson, "The Christmas Spirit" by Nelson Pigfoot & The Motivations, "Santa's Got A Brand New Bag" by Gary Walker, "Merry Christmas To You" by The Salem Travelers, "Blue Christmas Blue" by The King Tones, "Christmas Song" by Lee Jackson & The Cadillac Baby Specials, "My Letter To Santa" by The Marshans, "You Won't Have To Wait Til Christmas" by Lee Rogers, "Call Me For Christmas" by Gary US Bonds, "The Christmas Song (live)" by Marvin Gaye, "Silent Night" by Sister Lucille Pop & The Pearly Gates, "Christmas In The Ghetto" by Big Daddy Ervin Rucker, "A Funky Xmas To You" by J Hines & The Boys, and "Christmas In Vietnam" by The Soul Searchers. CD

It's easy to get Beaver Fever when things sound this great – a wonderful modern soul take on the sound of Little Beaver from the 70s – serve up with plenty of warm tones, and a nicely matured version of Beaver's styles! All the bluesy bits from the start are gone, and some of the funkier edges have been smoothed down – but in their place are some great grooves that move along with a cool jazzy vibe that often makes great use of Beaver's guitar – a style that's almost like some of the more mature modern soul from up north, instead of the usual 70s Miami groove. A few tunes echo the earlier years – like the great remakes of "Party Times" and "Katie Pearl" – and other tracks include "Thank You For My Life", "Don't Get Tired Of Me", "I Feel Like Crying", and the groovy "Groove-On". CD

A beautiful name for a beautiful record – a classic set of hardbop material from John Coltrane's early years as a leader – and a session that has him working with Donald Byrd on trumpet, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums! The album's got a beautifully laidback feel that prefaces some of the Coltrane's more exploratory work on Impulse and Atlantic – but one that still also has the earthy, straight ahead feel of his best early years on Prestige – a great combination that makes the record a key moment in the early career of The Great One. Tracks are all quite long – not exactly blowing session tunes, but done with a feel that's more open than some of the other Coltrane albums of the time – and titles include "Black Pearls", "Lover Come Back To Me", and "Sweet Sapphire Blues". CD

Jelly Roll Morton on piano with George Mitchell, Ward Pinkett, Ed Anderson, Edwin Swayzee,Red Rossiter, Barclay "horsecollar" Draper, Walter Briscoe & Sidney De Paris on trumpet, Kid Ory, Gerald Reeves, Geechy Fields, William Cato, Charlie Irvis & Claude Jones on trombone, Quinn Wilson, Bill Benford, Bass Moore & Harry Prather on tu, Omer Simeon, Barney Bigard, Darnell Howard, Johnny Dodds, Russell Procope, George Bacquet, Albert Nicholas on clarinet, Stump Evans, Paul Barnes, Joe Garland, Paul "polo" Barnes, Joe Thomas, Walter "foots" Thomas, Sidney Bechet & Happy Cauldwell on saxophone, Rod Rodriguez on ensemble piano, Johnny St. Cyr, Bud Scott, Lee Blair, Barney Alexander, Lawrence Lucie on banjo & guitar, John Lindsey & Wellman Braud on bass, Andrew Hilaire, Baby Dodds, Tommy Benford, Manzie Johnson, William Laws, Zutty Singleton on drums & Marty Bloom on effects. CD

Solo piano album – titles include "The Pearls", "New Orleans Blues", "Spanish Swat", "Popolo Paniolo", and "Moment's Notice". CD

A great and rare solo guitar record by Lena Hughes – issued here by Tompkins Square – a label that's put out some of the best fingerstyle guitar folk releases in recent memory – in both the contemporary and archival realms! Queen Of The Flat Top Guitar is an archival release in their Long Gone Sound Series – and it's one of best yet! Lena, born in 1904, was rural Missourian amateur guitarist and mainstay at Ozarks area folk festivals. This record is her one-and-only known album – and though she's also remembered as a fine fiddler and banjo player, it finds her focusing on flat top guitar in the tradition of 19th century parlor music. Warm and wonderful stuff – as inviting as anything we've heard on Tompkins Square. Includes "Pearly Dew", "Under The Double Eagle", "Letter Edged In Black", "Blue Heaven", "Galloway Bay", "You Are The Only Star Of My Blue Heaven", "Spanish Fan-Dango", "Kentucky Moon Waltz", "Silver Treads Among The Gold", "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and"Cedar Brook Waltz". CD

Very early work from the Jamaican scene – a set that includes cuts by artists who'd later record classic tracks in the rocksteady years, but who here are working in a much different mode! The title is plenty apt, but only gets at part of the sound – as this isn't straight doo wop as you'd know from the American scene, but instead some early group harmony – of the sort that would flourish even more strongly on famous Jamaican trio recordings of the late 60s – handled here with much more stripped-down instrumentation, and a shifting set of rhythms that mixes US influences with other more Caribbean modes. Titles include "Muriel" by Alton & Eddie, "Dearest Darling" by Jiving Juniors, "Til The End Of Time" by Chuck & Dobby, "Dearest Beverly" by Jimmy Cliff, "Heavenly Angel" by Laurel Aitken, "Do You Know" by Owen & Millie, "I'm Going Back" by The Charmers, "Diamonds & Pearls" by Dobby Dobson, "Album Of Memory" by The Mellowlarks, "Have Faith In Me" by Jiving Juniors, "Now You Want To Cry" by Prince Buster & The Charmers, "I Love My Teacher" by Chuck & Dobby, "Call Your Name Forever" by The Blues Busters, "I Love You Forever" by The Echoes Celestials, "Hear My Cry" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Guilty Convict" by Rupert Edwards, "Julie" by The Moonlighters, "Worried Over You" by Keith & Enid, "My Heaven" by Alton & Eddie, "Sweet As An Angel" by Jiving Juniors, "First Time We Met" by Annette & Shenley, "Dream Girl" by Ricketts & Rowe, "Don't You Know" by The Moonlighters, "I'll Always Call Your Name" by Belltones, "Never Go Away" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Change Of Mind" by Higgs & Wilson, and "I've Done You Wrong" by The Blues Busters. CD

Overlooked work from the Chicago blues scene of the postwar years – great material from an important early electric player – but one who never got the large exposure of some of his contemporaries on Chess Records! And yet, back in the day Robert Nighthawk was as important to the development of the Chicago sound as Muddy Waters – wonderfully skilled on the strings, and a hell of a singer too – with a deep baritone that often has a bit of a link to jump blues in the way that Robert delivers his phrasing – although the sound here is definitely Chicago blues overall! All numbers are small combo sides recorded for the United Records label – and players include Roosevelt Sykes and Bob Call on piano, Ransom Knowling on bass, and Jump Jackson drums. Titles include "Brick In My Pillow", "Seventy Four", "Crying Won't Help You", "You Missed A Good Man", "Feel So Bad", "U/S Boogie", and "Maggie Campbell". CD