Stunning sounds from Michael Orr – a singer you might know from his secular work in the duo of Harris & Orr – and who still sounds incredible here in a more spiritual-styled set from the start of the 80s! As with Michael's earlier music, there's a cool, cosmic vibe going on in the instrumentation – jazzy keyboard inflections and a great spacey soul conception that's quite unusual for most records of this vintage, much less the gospel setting that Orr's working in here on the Birthright label! Yet as with the hippest gospel records of the time, the religion is delivered more in a sense of universal spirit – at a level that's more on par with some of the more spiritual jazz and soul releases of the time – a mode that Orr worked in before on his previous albums. Michael plays a fair bit of Fender Rhodes on the record, and sings deeply too – and the vibe here is a lot like the best modern soul moments from Rance Allen and DJ Rogers. Titles include "Love Will Rise", "Hear The Message", "This Is A Blessing", "Spread Love", "Come Live In My Heart", and "I Don't Know You". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The second bright blast of garage psych grooves from Blues Magoos – their excellent Electric Comic Book set for Mercury – just as great as the first album! At this early point, the group brings a deliriously high energy approach, even in the studio – we can only imagine how incredible the live show must have been – but still with catchy harmonies and a wicked sense of humor. The organ and heavy drums is the bedrock for garage rock to come, too! Titles include "Pipe Dream", "There's A Chance We Can Make It", "Gloria", "Summer Is The man", "Baby I Want You", "Take My Love", "Rush Hour" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite soundtracks ever – a jazzy swinging ode to love found and love lost – all penned by the legendary Michel Legrand! The work was composed in collaboration with director Jacques Demy for his 1966 film of the same name – and, like the previous Demy/Legrand collaboration, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, the movie's a story in song – one that has much of the dialogue presented as sung lyrics to the tunes. The mode takes off from a Hollywood musical style, and pushes the genre into territory that's much hipper, very French, and with a soaring approach that's filled with plenty of mod 60s jazz grooves. Legrand's genius has never sparkled so brightly – and his ability to interweave different themes, stories, and grooves is simply amazing! This US package is even better than the original French one – with a nice colored book inside the gatefold cover that has some great photos and lyrics (translated) for the songs. Titles include "Nous Voyagons De Ville En Ville", "Depart De Camionners", "Arivee Des Camionneurs", "Chanson De Maxence", "Marins, Amins, Amants Ou Maris", and "Chanson De Jumelles". LP, Vinyl record album

Love's first album – a seminal bit of Sunset Strip rock, and every bit as powerful today as it was in the 60s! The style's a bit sharper-edged than the group's classic and more familiar Forever Changes set, but it's still pretty darn great – a completely fresh batch of guitar-heavy tunes that bristle with a sound that's a lot more sinister than some of the group's contemporaries. There's a few folksy or bluesy elements in the mix, but they're almost used in a way that parodies bigger acts of the time – turning the familiar into the freaky, all with a sense of power that's simply mindblowing. Titles include the group's excellent version of Burt Bacharach's "My Little Red Book", plus "Hey Joe", "Emotions", "A Message To Pretty", "Mushroom Clouds", "And More", and "Coloured Balls Falling". LP, Vinyl record album

Hip hop for the Gainsbourg fan? This Handsome Boy Modeling School spin off has Nathaniel Merriweather, aka Dan The Automator, working in his smoothest, sexiest, loungiest mode ever! Like Handsome Boy, Lovage is packed to the rafters with mysterious guest appearances, including the turntable and mixing skills of Kid Koala, Chest "Prince Paul" Rockwell, Afrika Bambaataa, and Maseo of De La Soul. Guest vocalists include Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields, Damon Albarn, and Mike Patton. Tracks include "Ladies Love Chest Rockwell", "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)", "Anger Management", "Everyone Has A Summer They Want To Remember", "To Catch A Thief", "Lies And Alibis", "Book Of The Month", "Strangers On A Train", "Sex (I'm A)", "Tea Time With Maseo", "Herbs, Good Hygiene, & Socks", and the best song named after a bad Burt Reynolds movie ever, "Stroker Ace". LP, Vinyl record album

Something of a concept album from Jeri Southern – a record of familiar tunes, but all strung together as "the story of a love affair", and set to backings by Gus Levene! The approach here is a bit like some of the Sinatra Capitol sides of the mid 50s – with a really unified sort of mood overall, one that's mostly that of sadness and longing – thanks to Levene's darkly gentle string arrangements. Jeri's breathy vocals sound great in the setting, and the album's got a solidity that we really love. Titles include "Close To You", "Close As Pages In A Book", "The Touch Of Your Lips", "Please Be Kind", "Cross My Heart", and "Prelude To A Kiss". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool Japanese-only album – the tenor of Sam The Man Taylor amidst larger backings from Jinzo Kosugi, on tunes that include "Hakodate No Hito", "Koi", "Yanasage Blues", "Casbah No Onna", "Hokkaido Skies", and "Love You Tokyo". LP, Vinyl record album

It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at the time, but with much richer, trippier work on the guitar and vocals – and some of the freaky, fuzzy basslines too! If some Afro Funk acts drew strong influence from the sharp soul of James Brown, these groups all seem to drink deep from the same musical well as Funkadelic at their freaked-out early best – which means that they've got no trouble throwing in a psych guitar riff alongside soulful vocals and funky rhythms – all with a sound that's completely sublime. As with the great first volume in this series, this edition comes with a special heavy book on the music – filled with detailed notes and lots of photos – alongside a great set of tracks that include "Wake Up You" by Waves, "Love" by Question Mark, "Baby Rock" by Jay U Experience, "Life In Cannan" by Ceejebs, "Who Made The World" by The Identicals, "Awa Lani Arawa" by Kukumbas, "Life Will Move" by The Believers, "The Feelings" by Tony Grey & The Black 7, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "In The Jungle (voc)" by The Hygrades. LP, Vinyl record album

A searing set of vintage soul cuts – brought together in honor of the legendary Wigan Casino – one of the most important clubs in the UK Northern Soul scene of the 70s! For the uninitiated, Wigan was a hotbed of upbeat rare soul cuts – overlooked American goodies from both the previous decade and more recent years – often with a strong focus on deeper soul vocals, which meant some strong entries from the southern scene as well! This well-done package comes with a heavy book-style cover, notes on the club and its music – and a whopping 28 tracks in all – including "I Can't Hide It" by The Appreciations, "Baby What Has Happened To Our Love" by The Ringleaders, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "I'm A Teardrop" by The Jerms, "Your Love Makes Me Lonely" by The Chandlers, "Watch Yourself" by Tony Hester, "Does Anybody Know What Time It Is" by Copper & Brass, "Can I Be Dreamin" by The Young Savages, "She's Fire" by The CODs, "Could It Be" by Mikki Farrow, and "Your Wish Is My Command" by The Inspirations. LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of great ones here – including "Jungle Love", "Jet Airliner", and "Threshold". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic introduction to the music of Love – put together by Elektra Records after the group's first few monumental albums! Few groups were as great at the start and changed so quickly as Love – and you can hear it all here – from the gritty, garagey Sunset Strip sounds of the start – to the sublime direction they would take on Forever Changes. Titles include "Hey Joe", "My Little Red Book", "Signed DC", "Alone Again Or", "Your Friend & Mine – Neil's Song", "You Set The Scene", "Good Times", "Andmoreagain", "Your Mind & We Belong Together", "She Comes In Colors", "7 & 7 Is", and "Orange Skies". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of the most compelling trombonists of the 50s! Jimmy Knepper is probably best known for his excellent work on some of Charles Mingus' best records – but this set from 1957 shows that Knepper was also an extremely capable (if under-recorded) leader in his own right! The album is one of the rarest Bethlehem sides – and it features Knepper leading a crack group that includes Bill Evans, Gene Quill and drummer Dannie Richmond, making a rare non-Mingus appearance here! The tracks are shortish, and a number of them are standards, but the group swings nicely, and Knepper's tone is nice and edgey on most tracks. Titles include "Avid Admirer", "Close As Pages In A Book", "Ogling Ogre", "Irresistable You", "How High The Moon", "Love Letters" and "Idol Of The Flies". LP, Vinyl record album

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. This super deluxe box set includes a wealth of bonus material and a 80-page hardbound book, plus art print! Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". LP, Vinyl record album

Libras take note! This record is for you, with a book on your star sign, plus lots of music to accompany your reading. Tracks include "A Man and A Woman", "I Say a Little Prayer", and "Love Theme from 'Elvira Madigan'", a keen fave with all the Libras we know. LP, Vinyl record album

In 1994 when everyone seemed to be turning hardcore, Common Sense wasn't having it – and gave the world this superb second album that formed a key part of his soon-to-be huge legacy! The album's very near and dear to our Chicago-born hearts – and is filled with introspective tales of growing up and living on the South Side, given perfect support by the production of No ID – a real overlooked hero of this generation! The album was made with little regard to trends of the time, and that's given it a timeless quality that really holds on over the years – maybe even more so than some of Common's later, bigger records. The set features two guest appearances by Y-Not aka Twilight Tone – and titles include "I Used To Love HER", "Book Of Life", "Chapter 13", "Nuthin' To Do", "In My Own World (Check The Method)", "Maintaining", "Communism", "Watermelon", "Thisisme", and "Sum Sh*t I Wrote". (And bonus trivia – Chicago station WHPK, a breeding ground for Dusty Groove, even gets a mention on the set!) LP, Vinyl record album

A really great 70s album from The Ethiopians – done in a strong roots style that's given lots of great production touches from Niney The Observer! There's great use of percussion at the bottom of most cuts – and the set begins with a cut that's less reggae than most, which really sets the scene for the distinctive quality of the record – a vibe that only gets better as the well-trained vocals of the group spread around and help deliver the message-oriented lyrics! Titles include a remake of "Train To Skaville" – plus "Ethiopian National Anthem", "Slave Call", "Hurry On", "Culture", "Obeah Book", and "I Love Jah". LP, Vinyl record album

Roger Glover steps aside from Deep Purple – and delivers one of his strangest records of the 70s – an oddly glammy, hard rock interpretation of material from the children's book of the same name! The set actually scored a surprising hit with the very catchy "Love Is All" – which features Ronnie James Dio on vocals – and the set features Dio singing on a few other cuts, "Sitting In A Dream" and "Homeward" – then features Glover working with other singers who include Jimmy Helms on "Waiting", Eddie Hardin on "Sir Maximus Mouse", Tony Ashton on "Together Again", and Glenn Hughes on "Get Ready". Glover produced – and the whole thing is way cooler than you might expect! LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from Donny Hathaway – a 70s soul giant who burned brightly for just a few years, then was taken away from us all too soon! In our book, Donny is every bit a giant of the decade as Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield – and you'll hear work here that easily matches the best of both, topped with some of the musical complexity that made Hathaway such a budding talent in the studio – ready to give his gifts to so many, and be shared with the world! Every cut's a gem – and titles include "The Ghetto", "Giving Up", "Someday We'll Be Free", "To Be Young Gifted & Black", "A Song For You", "What's Going On", and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" – as well as Hathaway's Holiday classic "This Christmas" – maybe the tune that most people know the best. Also features famous duets with Roberta Flack on "Where Is The Love", "The Closer I Get To You", "You've Got A Friend", "Back Together Again", and "You Are My Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet, sweet east coast Harmony soul, with seminal early Gamble and Huff production! This first Intruders LP lays the blueprint for the astoundingly great Philly soul sound that would dominate the east coast scene for many many years to come. Gamble and Huff's richly string kissed grooves underpin the groups dynamite vocals beautifully on both the hits "Together" and "United" and sleepers like "Baby I'm So Lonely", "A Devil With An Angels Smile" and "Gonna Be Strong". A dozen essential soul numbers in all, this LP also includes "(You Better) Check Yourself", "A Love That's Real", "It Must Be Love", "But You Belong To Me", "Good For My Girl", "A Book For The Brokenhearted" and "Up And Down The Ladder". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Chet Baker's best albums of the mid 60s – a tribute to Billie Holiday, one that has him both singing and playing, with a hip group that includes Hank Jones, Richard Davis, Seldon Powell, and Connie Kay. The format is quite nice, with arrangements by Jimmy Mundy that have just the right amount of darkness for the material, yet which also have a slightly whimsical touch that makes the record a lot more than just a straight tribute album. Titles include "There Is No Greater Love", "Easy Living", "Travelin' Light", and others associated with the late, great one. LP, Vinyl record album

The mindblowing first album by The Talking Heads – a bold statement by a very young band who'd go on to shape the sounds of the left field for generations to come! The sound is spare and very focused – maybe the first layer that David Byrne would then build up when adding more percussion, horns, electronics, and some of those elements from funk and global music that were such a continuing influence. Here, the group's fresh out of school, filled with imagination, and able to do so much with just a little – all led by Byrne's fantastic sense of songwriting and presentation – in a mode that's completely his own. The record's not punk, not new wave, and still continues to be in its own space of inventiveness, imagination, and forthright lyricism. Every song's a classic – and titles include "Uh-Oh Love Comes To Town", "New Feeling", "Tentative Decisions", "Happy Day", "Who Is It", "No Compassion", "The Book I Read", "Don't Worry About The Government", "First Week/Last Week Carefree", "Psycho Killer", and "Pulled Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from the late Maurice White – a really great solo set that follows the strong legacy of albums he spun off on his own when stepping aside for a moment from Earth Wind & Fire! The album's a collaboration with Preston Glass – who'd made great contributions to EWF as well, and always had a lean, contemporary style that kept moving forward with modern soul trends – a mode that really works well here for Maurice, whose classic vocals find a great home in the arrangements! Titles include "True Love Is Forever", "To The Top", "Before The Day You Were Born", "Sweet Surrender", "Panic Button", "Storybook Love", and "Laid Back Aphrodisiac". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime second chapter of work from Booker T & The MGs – pulled from a time when Stax Records was stepping out of the influence of Atlantic, and really opening the door to a wide variety of new soul sounds! That approach is definitely in place here – as the tracks really evolve past the early hits of the group – with more unusual rhythmic patterns, laid down by the great Al Jackson on drums and Donald Duck Dunn on bass – while Steve Cropper provides all the riffing genius on his guitar, and Booker T pushes things over the top with completely sublime work on organ! All players are really changing up their groove, especially as the singles here progress from the 60s into the 70s – and the package features a-sides and b-sides, and even a few post-Booker T cuts by the MGs. Titles include "Kinda Easy Like", "Melting Pot", "Sunday Sermon", "Something", "Fuquawi", "Sugarcane", "Blackside", "Neckbone", "Soul Clap 69", "Slum Baby", "Meditation", "Johnny I Love You", "Time Is Tight", "Jamaica This Morning", "Over Easy", "Heads Or Tails", "Mrs Robinson", and "Soul Limbo. LP, Vinyl record album

Very hip work from Booker T & The MGs – an album that has them standing out under a pier by the ocean on the cover – clearly a long way from their Memphis roots! The sound here still has a good dose of those roots, though – but it also shows them picking up some hipper rhythmic touches too – heard most famously on the title tune, "Soul Limbo" – which is a great number to signal the more open styles in the group's approach. Other hip originals on the set include "Heads Or Tails" and "Over Easy" – and the record also sports some great covers that include "La La Means I Love You", "Eleanor Rigby", and "Hang Em High", which they do in a nice western vein! LP, Vinyl record album

The album gives away its premise with the "ballad" in the title – but that's only part of the picture here, as the tenor of Joe Lovano is so wonderfully distinct, the album's got a richness that goes way beyond its cover! As with Coltrane's famous Ballads album of the early 60s, Joe here proves that at the core, past his other settings and experiments, he can still be a hell of a traditionalist on his horn – yet work with a sense of individuality that comes through right from the very first note! His partners in crime here are Hank Jones on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Paul Motian on drums – and titles include "Early Autumn", "Monk's Mood", "Like Someone In Love", "I'm All For You", "Don't Blame Me", "I Waited For You", and "Countdown". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set of rare soul music – served up by the Cairo imprint of Mississippi Records – and done with a very similar approach to their other reissues of folk, blues, and world music! The set focuses in on rootsier sounds, especially from the 60s – with lots of deep soul gems from both big names and some more obscure artists – all packaged with a detailed booklet of notes, in the best Mississippi style! The style is almost as if Folkway Records put together their own soul collection, but with work from other labels – and titles include "In My Heart" by Barbara & The Browns, "Tired Of Being Your Fool" by Nelson Sanders, "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas, "Since You've Been Gone" by The Falcons, "Can't Stay Away (parts 1 & 2)" by Slim & Ann, "Don't Ever Leave Me" by Bob & Earl, "Go Now" by Bessie Banks, "I Keep Forgetting You Don't Love Me No More" by The Thornton Sisters, "Don't Mistreat Me" by The Queenettes, "Let Me Down Easy" by Betta LaVette, "Life Is Too Short" by Benny Spellman, "Lament" by Mamie Perry, "I'm Missing You" by Loretta Williams, and "Everybody Knows" by OV Wright. LP, Vinyl record album

A trilogy of albums from this unique group – presented here with all their original artwork, and a bit bonus booklet of notes and images too! First up is Love & Poetry – the killer debut of this heady power trio from the British Isles – one who've got some of the same harder rock leanings as some of the other lean groups of their time, but who also seem to manage to hang onto some psychedelic fuzziness too – a fantastic approach that's always made Andwella such a unique group! The bass is nicely brooding, drums are plenty hard, and the great UK reedman Bob Downes adds a bit of sax and flute to the record. There's a wonderfully unique vibe throughout – and titles include "Clockwork Man", "Man Without A Name", "Sunday", "Andwella", "High On A Mountain", "Shades Of Gray", and "Take My Road". World's End is a set that begins with one of the greatest funky rock tracks ever – then leaps into the fray with a whole host of wonderful tunes! That track is the mighty "Hold On To Your Mind" – well worth the price of the album alone, and a tune that takes all the funky energy of the freakbeat scene, and moves it into more sophisticated rock territory! The rest of the record continues the shift to sophistication that makes this second album from Andwella so great – really well-penned songs that manage to do a lot with a little, use familiar instrumentation in unusual ways, and there's some nice use of flute, piano, and organ along the way – deepening their sound in all the best ways. Titles include "Hold On To Your Mind", "Just How Long", "Michael Fitzhenry", "Lady Love", "I'm Just Happy To See You Get Her", and "World's End (parts 1 & 2)". On the cover of People's People, Andwella are looking a bit shaggier and more mature, and they're sounding that way too – really pushing their vocals with more soulful qualities than before, which are a perfect fit for the searching qualities of the music! There's almost a US roots current to the record at times – the sort of vibe that should have made an already-great band even better – and which really takes Andwella on a surprisingly long musical journey in just a very short span! Titles include "She Taught Me To Love", "World Of Angelique", "Saint Bartholomew", "Are You Ready", "Lazy Days", "Behind The Painted Screen", and "Four Days In September". LP, Vinyl record album

Very hip work from Booker T & The MGs – an album that has them standing out under a pier by the ocean on the cover – clearly a long way from their Memphis roots! The sound here still has a good dose of those roots, though – but it also shows them picking up some hipper rhythmic touches too – heard most famously on the title tune, "Soul Limbo" – which is a great number to signal the more open styles in the group's approach. Other hip originals on the set include "Heads Or Tails" and "Over Easy" – and the record also sports some great covers that include "La La Means I Love You", "Eleanor Rigby", and "Hang Em High", which they do in a nice western vein! LP, Vinyl record album

Ella Fitzgerald takes on the music of Irving Berlin – and the witty nature of the words help unlock a whole new style of class and cool in her music! Paul Weston handles the backings, and the set's full of gems that Berlin wrote for films and shows of the 20s and 30s. Titles include "How About Me", "You Forgot To Remember", "All By Myself", "Lazy", "Cheek To Cheek", "Get Thee Behind Me Satan", "Russian Lullaby", "Always", "Change Partners", "It's a Lovely Day Today", "Supper Time", "Reaching For The Moon", and "Isn't This A Lovely Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful overview of the early years of American soul music – put together as a set that easily moves between deep soul, northern soul, and some of the other hard-burning modes of the time! The package is a great effort from the folks at Mississippi Records, to kick off their Cairo Records imprint – and is done with the sense of history you'll find in their other reissues – right down to the nice booklet of notes that comes with the album. Titles include "My Heart Is Closed For The Season" by Betty Swann, "I'll Never Love Again" by Cookie Gabriel, "You Killed The Love" by Betty LaVette, "Time" by Chris Kenner, "The Best Of Luck To You" by Earl Gaines, "Enchanted Sea" by The Counts, "It's Raining" by Irma Thomas, "No No I Can't Help You" by Beverly McKay, "Another Day Gone" by Reuben Bell, "I'll Run Your Hurt Away" by Ruby Johnson, "She's Gone" by OV Right, "Easy As Saying 123" by Timmy Willis, "Stop These Teardrops" by Tammy McKnight, and "Try Love" by Dori Grayson. LP, Vinyl record album

The trumpet of Chet Baker was hard pressed to find a better accompanist than the piano of Russ Freeman – and the pair made some incredible recordings during Baker's early years at Pacific Jazz. This lovely set by Mosaic brings together all of the recordings cut during the time, and although it includes a reasonable number of alternate takes, the bulk of the set is totally tight, totally together master recordings that show Baker in all his youthful power. There's a total of 4LPs in all, and the set's packaged with a booklet that provides good notes on the material. Tracks include "Imagination", "Russ Job", "Bea's Flat", "Love Nest", "Fan Tan", "Say When", "Lush Life", "Amblin", "The Thrill Is Gone (vocal)", and "But Not For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing reissue of this now-legendary album – once a lost psych oddity, but a set that's gone onto make plenty of waves over the years! Song Of A Gypsy may well be one of the best self-issued psych sets from the American underground – a really well-written, well-recorded record that has a very dark personal vision – an approach to the music that's instantly unique, and which shows that digging for rare psych albums can really yield the occasional gem that stands head and shoulders with the bigger names of the time! Damon's voice is darkly spooky, and couched with these cool flanged-out guitar lines on the sides – creating a space that's very personal, and which seems to let the lyrics hit these qualities that go much deeper than usual. The core album's been treasured for years by the few fans who had an original copy, and by a few more who had a previous reissue – but this double-length set is the first to ever tell the true tale of the enigmatic Damon – with a huge 64 page booklet of notes, and a massive amount of rare bonus tracks too. The core album includes "Song Of A Gypsy", "Funky Funky Blues", "Don't You Feel Me", "The Night", "Feel Your Love", "Oh What A Good Boy Am I", and "Birds Fly So High". Bonus tracks include some demo and 45 versions of "Song Of A Gypsy", plus "Don't Cry", "Lonely Surfer", "Bowlin Alley Jane", "Everything Is Alright", "The Little White Cloud That Cried", "I Wonder Why", and "I've Got My Pride". LP, Vinyl record album

A second helping of songs from the Nat King Cole songbook – served up by Mark Murphy as one of his most sensitive albums of the time! Backings here are relatively spare on all tracks – just guitar on some numbers, bass on others, or keyboards on the rest – a very different style than Nat King Cole would have ever used, and a method that really helps Murphy transform these tunes! There's hardly any sort of Cole-like phrasings at all – and the album sparkles beautifully with Mark's well-though inflections on the lyrics. Titles include "Don't Let Your Eyes Go Shopping", "The End Of A Love Affair", "For All We Know", "Maybe You'll Be There", and "Portrait Of Jennie/Ruby". LP, Vinyl record album

A trilogy of albums from this unique group – presented here with all their original artwork, and a bit bonus booklet of notes and images too! First up is Love & Poetry – the killer debut of this heady power trio from the British Isles – one who've got some of the same harder rock leanings as some of the other lean groups of their time, but who also seem to manage to hang onto some psychedelic fuzziness too – a fantastic approach that's always made Andwella such a unique group! The bass is nicely brooding, drums are plenty hard, and the great UK reedman Bob Downes adds a bit of sax and flute to the record. There's a wonderfully unique vibe throughout – and titles include "Clockwork Man", "Man Without A Name", "Sunday", "Andwella", "High On A Mountain", "Shades Of Gray", and "Take My Road". World's End is a set that begins with one of the greatest funky rock tracks ever – then leaps into the fray with a whole host of wonderful tunes! That track is the mighty "Hold On To Your Mind" – well worth the price of the album alone, and a tune that takes all the funky energy of the freakbeat scene, and moves it into more sophisticated rock territory! The rest of the record continues the shift to sophistication that makes this second album from Andwella so great – really well-penned songs that manage to do a lot with a little, use familiar instrumentation in unusual ways, and there's some nice use of flute, piano, and organ along the way – deepening their sound in all the best ways. Titles include "Hold On To Your Mind", "Just How Long", "Michael Fitzhenry", "Lady Love", "I'm Just Happy To See You Get Her", and "World's End (parts 1 & 2)". On the cover of People's People, Andwella are looking a bit shaggier and more mature, and they're sounding that way too – really pushing their vocals with more soulful qualities than before, which are a perfect fit for the searching qualities of the music! There's almost a US roots current to the record at times – the sort of vibe that should have made an already-great band even better – and which really takes Andwella on a surprisingly long musical journey in just a very short span! Titles include "She Taught Me To Love", "World Of Angelique", "Saint Bartholomew", "Are You Ready", "Lazy Days", "Behind The Painted Screen", and "Four Days In September". LP, Vinyl record album

Crucial early work from Bob Andy – a run of solo tracks recorded for Studio One after Bob split with The Paragons – collected together here as a single set that really brings a new soulful standard to Jamaican music in the second half of the 60s! There's a great mix of modes going on here – and it's great to hear work like this from the days when the genre was just feeling its way – trying out new rhythms, fresh instrumental elements, and sweet lyrical twists – all in pursuit of the kind of groove that would live on for years! Bob's got a subtle sort of poetry in his music – as you'll hear on cuts like "Desperate Lover", "Life Could Be A Symphony", "I've Got To Go Back Home", "Going Home", "Feeling Soul", and "Crime Don't Pay". LP, Vinyl record album

A great groover from organist Don Patterson – cut in a trio format, with an open-ended style that lets the players kick back and play, in the sort of free and easy setting you'd hear in a hip small club. Patterson's organ is backed by his usual drummer Billy James, and 4 of the album's 5 tracks feature tenor work, either by Booker Ervin or Sonny Stitt. The last track, "Theme For Dee", is a spare mellow ballad that features mostly just organ by Patterson, with some subtle drum fills by James. The other tracks groove a bit harder, and include "Love Me With All Your Heart", "42639", and "Sentimental Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

A mountain of funk from one of the greatest soul labels of all time! Stax is known round the world over for their soulful work – by singers like Otis Redding or Carla Thomas, and instrumental tunes by Booker T & The MGs – but the label was also quite a funky powerhouse – especially as the 60s drew to a close, and the management of the company got a lot hipper, and a heck of a lot more musically open-minded! This killer batch of tracks features 21 numbers from those days – including many obscure and funky tunes that only ever came out on singles, or which were recorded by artists that never made it as big as Stax stars from earlier years. The result of all that obscurity is an extremely fresh selection of tracks – plenty of down-n-dirty funky 45 numbers, played by hip Memphis combos, and featuring some really deep soul vocals. Titles include "Dark Skin Woman" by Sir Mack Rice, "Ain't No Sin" by John Kasandra, "Bump & Boogie" by The Wrecking Crew, "Shame On The Family Name" by Calvin Scott, "Cool Strut" by Bernie Hayes, "Bump Mean" by Sir Mack Rice, "Soul Machine" by Reggie Milner, "How Can You Mistreat The One You Love" by Katie Love, "Cold Blooded" by The Bar Kays, "Do The Side Saddle" by Rufus Thomas, "Stay Away From That Monkey" by Jimmy McCracklin, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Devil In A Man" by Stu Gardner, "Circuits Overloaded" by Inez Foxx, "From Toys To Boys" by The Emotions, "Got It Together (parts 1 & 2)" by Rudy Robinson & The Hungry Five, and "Crosscut Saw" by Albert King. LP, Vinyl record album

Rootsy rock – but of a sort that we like a lot more than most! Marc Benno's working here in a style that others explored often at the time, but he's got a way of doing so that's pretty compelling to our ears – a mode that mixes some of the countrified undercurrents with a hipper, almost jazzier singer/songwriter mode – so that the bottleneck guitar of Ry Cooder is undercut with organ and piano from Booker T Jones – and the sound's a nice sort of LA hybrid that's neither too down home, nor too slick on the top. All tracks are well-penned originals from Benno – and titles include "Good Year", "Try It Just Once", "Two Day Love Affair", "Second Story Window", "Teach It To The Children", "Family Full Of Soul",a nd "Hard Road". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – sometimes billed as a "memorial", even though he was still alive when it was done – and titles on this volume include "Aggression" and "Like Someone In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's a bit less "historical" than you might guess from the title – at least at the time it was issued in the mid 50s! The material is from Chicago sessions recorded in 1956 – unusual non-Columbia material for the period, featuring the Ellington group working in a slightly older-styled mode. Much of the material is from the earlier songbook of the orchestra – but it's done here with some slight modern touches that show the 50s impulses of the group firmly in place. Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpet, Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone sax – and titles include "Midriff", "Ko Ko", "Lonesome Lullaby", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", "Jack The Bear", "Stompy Jones", and "Creole Love Call". LP, Vinyl record album