A seminal statement from the legendary Small Faces – a record that has them regrouping a bit, and finding a way to pack an incredible punch! The album's amazing right from the very first note – a perfect bridge between the ongoing mod energy of the London scene, and the psychedelic sounds in years to come – served up with a tight, compact, focused approach that still blows away most of the many groups it helped inspire! The group would dive into a heady psychedelic groove about a year later with incredible success on Ogden's Nut Gone Flake – but here, they're still riding on the walloping soul and R&B influences on this record – driving and tuneful, with some hints at the strange sounds to come in the freewheeling organ and occasional odd instrumentation. Released as Small Faces in the UK with an alternate title, cover and tracklist, but this version shares a number of the greatest tracks and includes a few others that are just as essential – titles include "Itchycoo Park", "Talk To You", "My May Of Giving", "I'm Only Dreaming", "Get Yourself Together", "Green Circles", "(Tell Me) Have You Seen Me", and "Here Come The Nice". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key classics from the Jimmy Smith years at Blue Note Records – a really groundbreaking time for the Hammond organ in jazz, as Jimmy helped take it from backrooms in bars to center stage of jazz with a record like this! The album's about as iconic as you can get for Jimmy at the label – from the fantastic cover image, to the well-crafted tunes – many of which are shorter than some of Smith's earlier jam session-styled work, and help forge a bridge between soul jazz and the emerging soul instrumental sound of the early 60s. The album features some excellent work from the obscure Percy France on tenor on most of the tracks – a player we only know from a handful of dates – next to other quartet members who include Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Titles include "Sugar Hill", "I Got A Woman", "Motoring Along", "Gracie", and "Messin Around". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key classics from the Jimmy Smith years at Blue Note Records – a really groundbreaking time for the Hammond organ in jazz, as Jimmy helped take it from backrooms in bars to center stage of jazz with a record like this! The album's about as iconic as you can get for Jimmy at the label – from the fantastic cover image, to the well-crafted tunes – many of which are shorter than some of Smith's earlier jam session-styled work, and help forge a bridge between soul jazz and the emerging soul instrumental sound of the early 60s. The album features some excellent work from the obscure Percy France on tenor on most of the tracks – a player we only know from a handful of dates – next to other quartet members who include Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Titles include "Sugar Hill", "I Got A Woman", "Motoring Along", "Gracie", and "Messin Around". CD features 5 previously unissued bonus tracks! CD

One of the key classics from the Jimmy Smith years at Blue Note Records – a really groundbreaking time for the Hammond organ in jazz, as Jimmy helped take it from backrooms in bars to center stage of jazz with a record like this! The album's about as iconic as you can get for Jimmy at the label – from the fantastic cover image, to the well-crafted tunes – many of which are shorter than some of Smith's earlier jam session-styled work, and help forge a bridge between soul jazz and the emerging soul instrumental sound of the early 60s. The album features some excellent work from the obscure Percy France on tenor on most of the tracks – a player we only know from a handful of dates – next to other quartet members who include Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Titles include "Sugar Hill", "I Got A Woman", "Motoring Along", "Gracie", and "Messin Around". LP, Vinyl record album

Magical work from Lonnie Liston Smith – one of those players who actually seemed to get better the more he worked on major labels! The album's a really wonderful blend of mellow jazz and soulfully spiritual themes – at one level inspired by Roy Ayers-styled crossover material, but at another still very much in the righteous camp of some of Lonnie's earlier records. A few tracks have vocals, but others step along in a sweet and smooth instrumental mode that mixes up acoustic piano and keyboards very nicely! Titles include "In The Park", "Speak About It", "Love Is The Answer", "On The Real Side", "Give Peace A Chance", and "The Enchantress". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Space Princess (special disco version)", "A Song For The Children (7" single mix)", and 7" single versions of "Give Peace A Chance", "Free & Easy", "Bridge Through Time", and "Love Is The Answer". CD

A horror classic from a cool little combo – one who know how to use just the right dose of sound effects and monster touches next to the rocking instrumental sound at the core! These guys are a super-sharp group – we've always wondered if they're not another act, hiding under this Halloween-styled name – and they serve up romping rhythms and surf guitars with the best of the 60s instrumental acts – but also manage to bring in all sorts of interesting production and effects that live up to the title of the record! Ok, it's maybe not the total terror of some slasher film, but it's plenty fun throughout – a romp through 60s monster territory, with titles that include "Doom At Midnight", "The Ghostman Rings Twice", "Bodies Under The Bridge", "Slay Boy", "Ankle Twist", and "Stoned". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic CD collection – one that brings together all five volumes of Stereolab's Switched On albums in one set – a huge collection of unusual material and rare singles! On the original Switched On record, moog, fuzz, and farfisa have never sounded so great together – and although these guys drank deep of the well of 60s pop magic before making this modern-day classic – they also come off sounding pretty darn original on their own! When this gem of a record first hit the world, it was as if all of us were hearing music from the cosmos for years, but could never find a way to make it part of our everyday lives. Then along come Tim Gane, Laetitia Sadier, and crew – and completely change the world for the better! An album that no home should be without – with titles that include "Contact", "Super-Electric", "Doubt", "Brittle", "Au Grand Jour", "The Way Will Be Opening", and "Changer". Refried Ectoplasm is the second in the holy trinity of "switched on" albums from Stereolab – a set that collects together all the unusual recordings and other side bits the group were doing in the early years of their career – standing strong as a testament to their non-stop efforts to forever push the boundaries of electric fuzzy pop! The vocals Laetitia Sadier are completely sublime – almost a bridge between the darker modes of the previous pop generation and all the new ideas of the world to come – when the rest of rock music would finally catch up to these guys, and realize that the best path to the future is through the past! Titles include "Farfisa", "John Cage Bubblegum", "Tempter", "Exploding Head Movie", "French Disko", "Harmonium", "Revox", "Mountain", and "Sadistic". By the time of Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Vol 3) – it had only been a few years since the previous Switched On set, but Stereolab had already created so much musical magic, they needed a double-length record to keep the whole thing intact! The sound here is somehow getting even more dreamy and wonderful – definitely showing their work with the mighty Sean O'Hagan, and also really opening up into all the many musical ideas that Tim Gane was picking up from his never-ending search for unusual records! The 60s swirl through time and space, and make the future sound even better than we could have imagined it – while the Channel is drained, and England and France become one in a genius marriage of pure pop modes. Titles include "The Extension Trip", "How To Play Your Internal Organs Overnight", "Space Moment", "Iron Man", "The Long Hair Of Death", "One Note Samba/Surfboard", "Percolations", "1000 Miles An Hour", "Klang Tone", and a great take on the theme to "Get Carter". Switched On 4 is full of fantastic sounds from Stereolab – an assortment of rare singles and other unusual recordings that were mostly issued on their own Duophonic label, and which are far more obscure than their bigger label albums during the same period! Even though Stereolab gave the world some undeniable classics in the late 90s and early 00s, they were also working endlessly, and seemed to record more than they could ever fit on a full length set – which resulted in all the cool singles, limited releases, and other material included here – not dusty tapes pulled from the archives, but beautiful work that often returns the group to all the space age charms of their first few records! The package is huge – 25 tracks in all, of varying length – and titles include "Barok Plastik", "Calimero", "Fried Monkey Eggs (voc)", "Solar Throw Away", "Variation One", "Monkey Jelly", "Explosante Fixe", "Jump Drive Shut Out", "The Super-It", "L'Exotisme Interieur", "Pandora's Box Of Worms", "Retrograde Mirror Form", "Nomus E Phusis", "I Feel The Air Of Another Planet", "Outer Bongolia", and "Intervals". Includes tracks from Duophonic 45s, Underground Is Coming EP, Moog, First Of The Microbe Hunters, and work from compilations, unreleased tracks, and even a collaboration with Brigitte Fontaine! Switched On 5 is maybe the coolest entry so far in this really wonderful series – a set that's overflowing with rare and unusual work from Stereolab – most of it done at a time when the group were riding high on a major label, but still managed to issued a huge amount of music on their own, and work in a variety of collaborative settings too! One of our favorite is their work with Nurse With Wound, and tracks from that partnership begin this set – which then moves into rare singles, work with artists, compilation contributions, and plenty more – all with the usual Stereolab charm, but often with a nicely different vibe too! Titles include "Simple Headphone Mind", "Symbolic Logic Of Now", "Magne Music", "Forensic Itch", "Spool Of Collusion", "Robot Riot", "Trippin With The Birds", "Cybele's Reverie (live)", "Nth Degrees, "Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Autechre Feebate mix)", and "Plastic Mile (original version)". CD

Wonderfully noisy, messy grooves from the mighty Mark Stewart – working here in the best spirit of the On-U sound years – when just about anything was allowable in the studio! Stewart's equally influenced by punk and dub, but also has a sound that's completely his own – very dark and moody, and filled with political energy from the Reagan/Thatcher era – with instrumentation from a host of other On-U label mates – including musicians from New Age Steppers, African Head Charge, and The Dub Syndicate – brooding under the kind of trippy percussion that only Adrian Sherwood could deliver at the time. A huge bridge between London of the punk years, and England of the Massive Attack/Tricky generation – with titles that include "Liberty City", "The Paranoia Of Power", "High Ideals & Crazy Dreams", "None Dare Call It Conspiracy", "Learning To Cope With Cowardice", "Blessed Are Those Who Struggle", and "Don't Ever Lay Down Your Arms". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sunshine pop from the Strawberry Alarm Clock – an album that's a bit trippy, a lot sunny – and just the right mix of psych and harmony soul! There's some wonderful overlooked nuggets on the record – tunes that go past their chart hits, and which really remind us that the group was definitely a cut above most of their contemporaries – with these edges and surprises that really keep things interesting. The mighty George Tipton helped arrange some of the best cuts – and titles include the massive "Barefoot In Baltimore" – a perfect bridge between the earlier 60s harmony sounds, and the headier mode of the later generation – as well as the tracks "Sea Shell", "Lady Of The Lake", "A Million Smiles Away", "Shallow Impressions", and "Eulogy". LP, Vinyl record album

Solo piano, small group, and big band recordings by the great Billy Strayhorn! Tracks include "Lush Life", "Take The A Train", "Smada", "Passion Flower", "Chelsea Bridge", and "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing". 20 tracks total. CD

A rare set of Billy Strayhorn tracks recorded in Paris by Alan Douglas. The tracks are incredibly haunting, and mostly feature Strayhorn's solo piano with spare backing by Parisian bassist Michel Goudret. There are a a few short moments on the record that add backing voices or strings – but even in those moments, Strayhorn's tender tentative piano is right up front in the mix. The whole thing's a treasure, and a rare peek at the solo talent that made Ellington's band one of the best. Titles include "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Lush Life", "Strange Feeling", and "Chelsea Bridge". LP, Vinyl record album

Frankie, Frankie – OW! Take a broken-down synth, some crazy vocals, and a rich sense of imagination – and you've got one of the seminal groups of the New York scene of the early punk years. Suicide were a key bridge between earlier prog underground sounds and the art-rock punk styles that were coming out of New York in the late 70s – and one that was in a space that was completely their own – and still is, after all the decades since the release of this record! With this one landmark album, the band completely dismantled the cold German prog synth of groups like Kraftwerk, La Dusseldorf, and Tangerine Dream – and created a wild sound of spare anguish that brought a whole new dimension to punk rock. The album has got to be one of the top 50 "must have" rock records of all time – and titles include the cuts "Ghost Rider", "Rocket USA", "Johnny", "Frankie Teardrop", "Che", and "Cheree". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty big collection of cuts from the legendary Sylvester – not the first music the Bay Area legend ever put on record, but the kind of tracks that really established his genius working as a key bridge between so many strands of life and music in the 70s! The package features key club tracks that made Sylvester a huge force in both the mainstream and underground disco scenes, most with other soul tracks that show just what a strong vocalist he was in just about any setting – served up here in a 26 track package that mixes album tracks, rare mixes, and important singles. Titles include "Down Down Down (12" mix)", "Over & Over (12" mix)", "Tipsong", "I Been Down", "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight", "I Who Have Nothing (12" short disco)", "Was It Something That I Said", "Stars (12" disco version)", "Can't Stop Dancing", "Sell My Soul (12" disco version)", "You Are My Friend", "Fever", "Change Up", "Dance Disco Heat (12" disco)", "Loving Grows Up Slow", "Thinking Right", "In My Fantasy", and "Could It Be Magic/A Song For You". CD

Heavy drums from Jimmy Takeuchi – in a groovy 60s Japanese mode, with a great mix of jazz and swinging styles! The set's got the usual instrumental covers of Anglo hits, but also features some nice Japanese material too – titles that include "Let It Be", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Venus", "Maltese Melody", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A Def Jam classic from Tashan – and a record that really helped bridge the gap between male soul and hip hop in the 80s! The style's still as warm and soulful as most of Tashan's contemporaries, but the record definitely shows a bit of street soul in the rhythms too – often just a bit gentle, but prefacing the changes that would come more strongly in the next decade – an aspect that really made this one stand out from the rest! Tashan's vocals are in a classic romantic mode, but often set to beats that provide a nice contrast and a good sort of punch – a definite Def Jam mode that's famously heard on the title track. Titles include "Ooh We Baby", "So Much In Love", "I Don't Ever", "Love Is", "Read My Mind", "If Words Can Express", "Chasin A Dream", and "Strung Out On You". CD

A wonderful return to form for drummer Art Taylor – and a set that crackles with the same sense of soul and fire as his legendary 50s work for Blue Note and Prestige! Taylor's working here in an open-ended hardbop mode that makes the most of the live setting of the record – and which has the drummer leading a crack quintet that features alto sax from Abraham Burton, tenor from Willie Williams, piano by Jacky Terrason, and bass by Tyler Mitchell. The overall format of the live performance is kept strongly by the recording – including introductions by Taylor, the band's theme, and a bit of inter-song chat – and the record's a real standout in the Verve catalog of the 90s, one that we'll always remember fondly. Titles include "AT's Shout", "So Sorry Please", "Stressed Out", "Mr AT Revisited", "Chelsea Bridge", and "Harlem Mardi Gras". CD

A solo set from groundbreaking UK jazz musician Emma Jean Thackray – but a set that's hardly got the quiet feel of an individual with just one instrument! Thackray's blowing trumpet here, as on other records – but the set also features her handling a range of other instruments, on tunes of her own composition – which are then remixed and given structure in the studio – often with more of a rhythmic pulse than some of her other albums! There's a lot of great keyboards, basslines, and rhythms – but not in a jazz remix way, as the overall sound is more complex than that – shifting between songs of differing lengths and styles, in a way that really keeps things interesting. Emma Jean sings a bit, too – which is a great surprise – and titles include "Red Bush", "Catford Bridge", "Howley", "Make Do", "Ley Lines", "Rain Dance", and "The End". LP, Vinyl record album

A key early moment for Memphis soul legend Rufus Thomas – a singer who'd already been working and recording on the scene for about a decade, but who finally got some national attention with this raw soul album for Stax! The set's got all the sharp, hard Stax approach in the grooves – that no-nonsense collaborative vibe that made the label's studio such a hotbed of activity at the time – which allowed Rufus to just step in and open up his many charms on a set of cuts that bridge the world between R&B and early soul! Almost every track is a hard soul dancer – not funk, as in later Stax material by Rufus – but with a sound that's equally raw. Titles include the hit "Walking The Dog", plus "Can Your Monkey Do The Dog", "The Dog", "Mashed Potatoes", "Ya Ya", "Land Of 1000 Dances", "It's Aw-rite", and "Boom Boom". CD

You might not initially recognize the name of Trevor Tomkins, until you realize he was the drummer in the great Don Rendell/Ian Carr group of the late 60s – continuing his great run of modern jazz expressions here, in a set of never-issued work! The material here dates from years after the breakup of the Rendell/Carr combo, but it's clear that Trevor really drunk in deep from that moment in jazz – and continues the spirit of open flow and creative rhythms in his own music – working here with a great lineup of players that includes Chris Pyne on trombone, Jimmy Hastings and Brian Smith on soprano and tenor saxes, Phil Lee on guitar, John Horler on piano and electric piano, and Paul Bridge on drums. The double-length package features work recorded over the space of a few years, but has a very unified feel – and the material is mostly all original, with a number of especially wonderful tracks penned by Lee. Titles include "Your Eyes Are Love", "The Right Moment", "Chapter One", "Celeste", "Summer Night", "Three Four Peace", "Evansong", "Your Dancing Toes", "Early Spring", and "For Future Reference". CD

Don't let the title put you off, as these aren't tracks recorded at some soundcheck before a gig by British piano legend Stan Tracey – and instead, they're some incredible recordings from late in his career, showing the modernist to be every bit as vibrant as back in the day! CD1 features duets between Stan and son Clark Tracey on drums – a pair who'd been working together for many years by the time of this date, and who have fantastic energy that will instantly blow away any idea of nepotism you might have in mind! Clark is as dynamic on the drums as Stan is on the keys – and the pair work some amazing magic on original tunes that include "Stick Chops", "Foregone Conclusion", "M25", "Curry Favour", "Soundcheck", "Gambons", and "Midnight Around". CD2 features a trio performance, as bassist Andrew Clyndert joins Stan and Clark – as the group move through a mix of wonderfully reworked jazz classics, and a strong tune of Stan's own – titles that include "Lil Ol Pottsville", "Let's Cool One", "Angelica", "Goodbye", "Blue Monk", and "Chelsea Bridge". CD

The title's not a reference to Robert Crumb's famous comix character – and instead, it's a great name for this unreleased batch of work from Stanley Turrentine – a perfect summation for the easygoing soul that's always made Stan so great! The group's a nice bridge between the two different periods of Turrentine's work on Blue Note – mostly in the hardbop mode of his start, with but a larger sense of songcraft too – one that has some of Stanley's more lyrical modes coming to the surface – in a sextet that also includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – plus some sweet congas from Ray Barretto! Titles include a great reading of "My Girl Is Just Enough Woman For Me" – and other tracks include "Stanley's Blues", "Shirley", "Tacos", and "Can't Buy Me Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Ken Vandermark's a hell of a genius on his own – but he's also pretty darn generous as well! Vandermark is easily one of the greatest living saxophonists working today, yet he's never one to toot his own horn (no pun intended) – and instead goes out of his way to credit the artists who've helped him shape his style over the years – in this case Sonny Rollins and Roland Kirk, both of whom are the focus of this set! CD 1 features Six For Rollins – a set of tracks that mixes Sonny Rollins compositions with Vandermark's own, in the tradition of Impulse classics Four For Trane or Three For Shepp – all in the spirit of Rollins, but pushing farther too! CD 2 features Free Kings – The Music Of Roland Kirk – a beautiful exploration of Kirk's compositions from the 60s and early 70s, played with great intensity by the Vandermark 5 lineup of Ken Vandermark on reeds, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, Dave Rempis on alto and tenor, and Tim Daisy on drums. Titles include "The Bridge", "Strode Rode", "John S", "East Broadway Rundown", "Alfie Suite", "Free Kings Suite", "Black & Crazy Blues", "Inflated Tear", "Handful Of Fives", "Rip Rig & Panic", and "No Tonic Press". CD

In the years immediately preceding the rise of the MPB giants of the post-Tropicalia years, Geraldo Vandre was one of Brazil's best talents, and an extremely strong singer/songwriter who managed to build a bridge from the bossa era to the present. This incredible album from the mid 60s is one of his best – and features an amazing set of songs that match any of the best Brazilian work of the 60s. Some tracks are folksy, some have a bit of a jazz sound – and the range of styles seems to run from Leonard Cohen to Marcos Valle to Dick Farney. Really great stuff – with an imagination and soulfulness that still leaves us breathless. Titles include "Requiem Para Matraga", "Tristeza De Amar", "Pequeno Concerto Que Ficou Cancao", "Rosa Flor", "Que Quizer Encontrar O Amor", and "Porta Estandarte". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from Geraldo Vandre – an overlooked singer/songwriter who was a key bridge between the early bossa years and more sophisticated MPB sounds in the 70s! In the years immediately preceding the rise of the MPB giants of the post-Tropicalia years, Geraldo Vandre was one of Brazil's best talents, and an extremely strong singer/songwriter who managed to build a bridge from the bossa era to the present. This incredible album from the mid 60s is one of his best – and features an amazing set of songs that match any of the best Brazilian work of the 60s. Some tracks are folksy, some have a bit of a jazz sound – and the range of styles seems to run from Leonard Cohen to Marcos Valle to Dick Farney. Really great stuff – with an imagination and soulfulness that still leaves us breathless. Titles include "Requiem Para Matraga", "Tristeza De Amar", "Pequeno Concerto Que Ficou Cancao", "Rosa Flor", "Que Quizer Encontrar O Amor", and "Porta Estandarte". LP, Vinyl record album

Three albums from this great reedman! Gibraltar features a killer Dutch duo from the end of the 70s – tenorist Harry Verbeke, who's got a bold, clear sound – and pianist Rob Agerbeek, who's been making soulful sides from the 60s onwards! The pair get great accompaniment here from drummer Billy Higgins and bassist Herbie Lewis – the last of whom may be at his best here – with these well-placed, well-rounded lines that help the record groove right from the start – and which give the record a nice bounce, even in gentler moments – followed up strongly by Agerbeek and his strong sense of chord progressions. Most tunes are familiar, but get nice readings by the group – and titles include "Gibraltar, "Holy Land", "Soul Sister", "No Me Esqueca", and "No Problem". It's You Or No One is a gem, as Harry Verbeke's a tenor player we grow to love more and more over the years – especially as we discover more of his obscure Dutch recordings like this album from the 70s! Verbeke's a tenorist who's completely fully-formed and strong-voiced right from the very first note – maybe indicated by his choice of a Barney Wilen tune to lead off the set – as, like Wilen, Harry's one of these great under-discovered European talents who really helped move his instrument forward, but away from recognition on our side of the Atlantic. The rest of the group is top-shelf too – the great Irv Rochlin on piano, Harry Emmery on bass, and Max Bollerman on drums – on titles that include "Blue Bossa", "Prelude In Blue", "Mariette", "Sugar", and "Chelsea Bridge". As for Harry Verbeke Plays Romantic Ballads, the title's no lie, but it can't even begin to get at the very special sound of the record – as there's a lot more going on here than just a saxophonist taking on American standards! Harry Verbeke's got this sense of tone and phrasing that are very much his own – a quality that we love on his harder-swinging records from the 70s, but which opens up with even more individuality here – a raspy sort of charm that's hard to describe in words, but which makes the album very different than so many other tenor outings of this type. Another strong element is the use of organ instead of piano – an instrument played here by Carlo De Wijs, who mostly shades in things under Harry's lead, rather than try to challenge him to a sonic battle – as the core get gentle support from Hein Van De Geyn on bass and Arnoud Gerritse on drums. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "A Child Is Born", "Chelsea Bridge", "Spring Fever", and "Everything Happens To Me". CD

One of the rarest Mal Waldron albums ever – issued on a tiny label, as part of its education series – but a great trio date with George Tucker on bass and Al Dreares on percussion! The music is quite unusual too – a host of compositions by Waldron, and very different than many things he'd recorded earlier – still quite short, but a bridge to some of his more freewheeling work of the second half of the 60s, recorded overseas. Titles include "Love Span", "Call To Arms", "Skippers Waltz", "Quiet Temple", "Lullaby Chant", "Modal Air", "Ollie's Caravan", and "Summerday". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual setting for the legendary T Bone Walker – one of those fantastic records he made while hanging out on the French scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a time when he was able to work in a crossroads of styles that really opened up his sound! That's definitely the case here – as although Walker is very much his strong self on guitar and vocals, he's backed by a wonderfully unusual group – one that features French jazz legend George Arvanitas on piano, delivering some surprisingly bluesy lines – and which also includes tenor sax from the great Hal Singer, another musician who was really able to bridge worlds on the Parisian scene! George's fantastic bassman Jacky Samson is at the core, helping the groove – and titles include "Leaving You Behind", "I Hate To See You Go", "Ain't That Cold Baby", "Late Blues", and "Someone Is Going To Mistreat You". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual setting for the legendary T Bone Walker – one of those fantastic records he made while hanging out on the French scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a time when he was able to work in a crossroads of styles that really opened up his sound! That's definitely the case here – as although Walker is very much his strong self on guitar and vocals, he's backed by a wonderfully unusual group – one that features French jazz legend George Arvanitas on piano, delivering some surprisingly bluesy lines – and which also includes tenor sax from the great Hal Singer, another musician who was really able to bridge worlds on the Parisian scene! George's fantastic bassman Jacky Samson is at the core, helping the groove – and titles include "Leaving You Behind", "I Hate To See You Go", "Ain't That Cold Baby", "Late Blues", and "Someone Is Going To Mistreat You". CD

A really unusual setting for the legendary T Bone Walker – one of those fantastic records he made while hanging out on the French scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a time when he was able to work in a crossroads of styles that really opened up his sound! That's definitely the case here – as although Walker is very much his strong self on guitar and vocals, he's backed by a wonderfully unusual group – one that features French jazz legend George Arvanitas on piano, delivering some surprisingly bluesy lines – and which also includes tenor sax from the great Hal Singer, another musician who was really able to bridge worlds on the Parisian scene! George's fantastic bassman Jacky Samson is at the core, helping the groove – and titles include "Leaving You Behind", "I Hate To See You Go", "Ain't That Cold Baby", "Late Blues", and "Someone Is Going To Mistreat You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records ever produced by Disneyland Records – and one of the creepiest too! The record features one side of raw sound effects – top-shelf level material, of the sort that the Disney crew would save and use in cartoons and films – and the other side features similar sounds, but structured with a more narrative approach – almost making for a record that's sort of a ghost story in sound! Titles include "The Very Long Fuse", "The Dogs", "The Unsafe Bridge", "The Martian Monsters", "Chinese Water Torture", and "Drips & Splashes". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully resonant solo piano work from the great Cedar Walton – and a set that brings together unreleased material that was recorded during the same sessions as his classic Blues For Myself album from the 80s! Walton's in beautifully mature form here – still quite rhythmic and flowing, with that majestic spirit he brought to his music in the 70s – but with an ear for some of the careful tones and subtle touches that marked his later decades too – heard here in unfettered genius, no drums or bass – just Cedar spinning things out on his own! Titles include "Lil Darlin" – plus two takes of "Booker's Bossa", "Bridge Work", and "Without A Song" – and one alternate of "Sixth Avenue". CD

Wonderfully resonant solo piano work from the great Cedar Walton – and a set that brings together unreleased material that was recorded during the same sessions as his classic Blues For Myself album from the 80s! Walton's in beautifully mature form here – still quite rhythmic and flowing, with that majestic spirit he brought to his music in the 70s – but with an ear for some of the careful tones and subtle touches that marked his later decades too – heard here in unfettered genius, no drums or bass – just Cedar spinning things out on his own! Titles include "Lil Darlin" – plus two takes of "Booker's Bossa", "Bridge Work", and "Without A Song" – and one alternate of "Sixth Avenue". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising title – given that Sadao Watanabe was really stretching out a lot in the early 70s – but a fitting one too, as the set's a nice back-to-basics date from the amazing Japanese saxophonist! Sadao's working here with the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – a swingingly solid combo who really make things cook, even in a small space – sounding almost better here when topped by Watanabe's sharp-edged alto lines than on their own albums of the time! Sadao also plays a bit of flute, which is really a treat – and titles include "Confirmation", "Episode", "Gary", "3:10 Blues", "Chelsea Bridge", and "One For C". CD

Ben Webster and ballads – what more could you want? This nice 2LP set brings together some fantastic Webster work from his mid 50s years at Verve – featuring larger arrangements by Ralph Burns and Billy Strayhorn, plus small group playing with Teddy Wilson. At face value, the set is nothing fancy – but Webster's tone is incredible, drenched in soul and emotion, especially on the tracks arranged by Burns. Titles include "Prelude To A Kiss", "All Too Soon", "Chelsea Bridge", "Love Is Here To Stay", "You're Mine You", "Love's Away", and "Sophisticated Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Time On My Hands", "Early Autumn", "Prisoner Of Love", "When I Fall In Love", "Willow Weep For Me", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Chelsea Bridge", "My Funny Valentine", "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me", and more. CD

Wonderful stuff! Ben Webster blows soulful late night ballads over strings – a perfect combination, and a wonderful idea that was first executed on two LPs in the 50s: Music For Loving and Music With Feeling, both of which are reissued here with some extra unreleased material! Backings are by Ralph Burns and Billy Strayhorn – both of whom can be trusted to keep things hip, using the strings to create mood, emotion, and tension, instead of a pillow to smother the sound of Webster's incredible tenor work. Added to those two albums and bonus cuts is the even rarer Harry Carney with Strings session, recorded in the same era, and a perfect addition to the package that makes for over 3 LPs worth of material on 2 CDs, all packaged with great notes and some very cool Verve artwork! Titles include "Chelsea Bridge", "Some Other Spring", "Blue Moon", "Early Autumn", "My Fantasy", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Under A Blanket Of Blue", "You're Mine You", "Love's Away", and "All Too Soon". CD

The full early work of UK pop singer Kim Wilde – a big force on both sides of the Atlantic for a few short years, and part of a great wave of catchy girl-fronted music in the generation that also included Blondie and the Go-Gos! Kim's got her own special twist on the sound – one that also draws from some of the UK pop of the period, but which also never moves into too much synth or electro pop – and instead takes all the best upbeat, live energy of the early new wave years – and maybe gives it a more straightforward spin, in a way that helped Wilde get plenty of play on the charts! This nicely-done set features all three albums for the RAK label – Kim Wilde, Select, and Catch As Catch Can – plus bonus tracks that include "Boys", "He Will be There", "Child Come Away", "Just Another Guy", "Watching For Shapes", "Rain On", and "Back Seat Drive". CD4 features lots more bonus tracks too – special disco mixes that include "Kids In America (Luke Mornay rmx)", "Chequered Love (Matt Pop ext)", "Water On Glass (Project K soundtrack)", "Cambodia (Matt Pop ext)", "View From A Bridge (Project K soundtrack)", and "Take Me Tonight (Luke Mornay profondo giallo mix)". CD

One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from either player involved – a set that's a tremendous showcase for the alto and soprano work of Steve Wilson, and an open presentation of the drum genius of Lewis Nash! The record comes as a bit of a surprise – especially in contrast to some of Wilson's work in larger groups, which can be more structured and sometimes darker – and although we love when Nash can swing a quintet or a quartet, we're also wonderfully impressed at his presentation here in a looser format. The set feels very improvised along themes, but still has a sense of melody and swing – as the pair deliver very unique readings of tunes that include "Equinox", "Con Alma", "Chelsea Bridge", "Senor Blues", "Island Birdie", and "Freedom Jazz Dance". CD

One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from either player involved – a set that's a tremendous showcase for the alto and soprano work of Steve Wilson, and an open presentation of the drum genius of Lewis Nash! The record comes as a bit of a surprise – especially in contrast to some of Wilson's work in larger groups, which can be more structured and sometimes darker – and although we love when Nash can swing a quintet or a quartet, we're also wonderfully impressed at his presentation here in a looser format. The set feels very improvised along themes, but still has a sense of melody and swing – as the pair deliver very unique readings of tunes that include "Equinox", "Con Alma", "Chelsea Bridge", "Senor Blues", "Island Birdie", and "Freedom Jazz Dance". CD

Link Wray is definitely Jack The Ripper here – ripping away with incredible guitar work that may well top his famous hits of the late 50s! The set is one of the sharpest ever issued by Philly indie Swan Records – an early home to The Beatles too – and the label's quick demise makes the set one of the more obscure Link Wray recordings, and a key bridge between his years to come as a singer and his early work that helped revolutionize the sound of the electric guitar! The production is great – almost some west coast sonic experiments at times – and titles include "Rumble", "Cross Ties", "Run Chicken Run", "Big Ben", "Dinosaur", and "Fat Back". CD

Link Wray is definitely Jack The Ripper here – ripping away with incredible guitar work that may well top his famous hits of the late 50s! The set is one of the sharpest ever issued by Philly indie Swan Records – an early home to The Beatles too – and the label's quick demise makes the set one of the more obscure Link Wray recordings, and a key bridge between his years to come as a singer and his early work that helped revolutionize the sound of the electric guitar! The production is great – almost some west coast sonic experiments at times – and titles include "Rumble", "Cross Ties", "Run Chicken Run", "Big Ben", "Dinosaur", and "Fat Back". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful shift in sound for pianist Yosuke Yamashita – material that's still as full of energy and life as some of his groundbreaking trio sessions of the 70s, but which pitch the spirit in a slightly different way! Volume one of the set has songs that are maybe a bit tighter and more composed overall, but which still bristle with the kind of brilliant energy that Yosuke can bring to the piano – as he works in a quartet with lots of excellent work on tenor from Kazunori Takeda, plus drums from Shota Koyama, and bass from Katsuo Kuninaka – the latter of which is an instrument that Yamashita didn't always use in the 70s, but which really adds a lot here. Titles include "Chattering", "One For T", "Nimufa Star", "Jugem", "K's Lullaby", and "Chattering". Volume 2 has an approach that's even more different than usual for the piano of Yamashita – a larger combo that has guitar from Kazumi Watanabe and trombone from Shigeharu Mukai – both players from more mainstream sides of the jazz spectrum, but who provide some compelling sounds next to the much more freewheeling piano work of Yosuke! The album also features tenor work from three different players, each of whom play on different tracks – Kazunori Takeda, Seiichi Nakamura, and Yasuaki Shimizu – and with bass and drums in play, the original material by Yamashita is spun differently than on other sessions, but still very much with his trademark approach. Titles include "Jugemu", "Motion Picture", "First Bridge", and "Drifting On D". CD

An electronic pop masterpiece – and the first moment of international exposure for the mighty Yellow Magic Orchestra! Before this set, the trio of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, and Yukihiro Takahashi had already been making plenty of waves on the Japanese music scene – but the record gave them a focused showcase they never had before, and helped set the stage for so much other electronic music in years to come! The tracks are tuneful, but also created from lots of different electronic elements – video game noise, analogue electronics, drum machines, keyboards, and more – mostly wonderfully tuneful instrumentals, which gave the work a very universal appeal. Titles include "Computer Game (Theme From The Circus)", "Computer Game (Theme From The Invader)", "Yellow Magic (Tong Poo)", "Cosmic Surfin", "Firecracker", "Simoon", "La Femme Chinoise", "Bridge Over Troubled Music", and "Mad Pierrot". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Larry Young albums for Blue Note – and a record that really gets at his unique conception and style in the 60s! The session's a key bridge between Larry's soul jazz roots and his more far-reaching experimental work – filled with deep, heavy grooves – yet mixed with playful, personal touches on the Hammond – some of the most unique sounds coming from Blue Note at the time! The group features a nicely different lineup from the usual label Hammond date – Tyrone Washington and Herbert Morgan on tenor, and Hank White on flugelhorn – and the ensemble is augmented by some congas, and vocals by Larry's wife Althea on one track. The sound is great – more inside than Love & Peace, but with a similar righteous energy – and titles include "Evening", "Majestic Soul", "Tender Feelings", "Wild Is The Wind" and "Means Happiness". CD

Great early work from Lester Young – an Imperial Records collection of early material from the 78rpm days of Aladdin Records! The work is a great bridge between swing and pop – and Lester Young's tone is superb throughout – on titles that include "One O'Clock Jump", "Easy Does It", "East Of The Sun", "No Eyes Blues", "The Sheik Of Araby", "Confessin' That I Love You", "Something To Remember You By", "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "Jumpin' At Mesners", "It's Only A Paper Moon", "Lover Come Back To Me" and "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal sounds that bridge the worlds of swing and bop – mostly recorded for Svoy in 1944, the earliest days of the label – with a few tracks from 1949 as well – and a number of alternates appearing here for the first time ever! LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album from Neil Young – recorded during a key 70s stretch, and finally out of the can after decades of being locked away in the vaults! At the time, Neil didn't think the record was as strong as some of his other work – but to us, fans of the man's music, the whole thing is an essential treasure – a nice bridge between a few different modes of his shifting 70s palette, especially since there's some up-close, acoustic numbers that really reveal a personal side of Young, and some of the difficulties he was going through at the time. Titles include "Florida", "Little Wing", "We Don't Smoke It No More", "Separate Ways", "Try", "Mexico", "Star Of Bethlehem", "Vacancy", and "Kansas". CD

An important early 70s live album from Neil Young – in part because it contains some fresh material, not just live takes of studio songs – and stands at a pivotal time in Young's career and creative development! Neil gets support from the Stray Gators, and the set also features guest appearances from Graham Nash and David Crosby – but it's the melancholia of Young that really dominates the record – almost as if he's sheepish about bringing out some of the new songs, which only seems to give them more resonance overall. Titles include "The Bridge", "Yonder Stands The Sinner", "Time Fades Away", "Journey Through The Past", "LA", "Don't Be Denied", "Love In Mind", and "Last Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

An important early 70s live album from Neil Young – in part because it contains some fresh material, not just live takes of studio songs – and stands at a pivotal time in Young's career and creative development! Neil gets support from the Stray Gators, and the set also features guest appearances from Graham Nash and David Crosby – but it's the melancholia of Young that really dominates the record – almost as if he's sheepish about bringing out some of the new songs, which only seems to give them more resonance overall. Titles include "The Bridge", "Yonder Stands The Sinner", "Time Fades Away", "Journey Through The Past", "LA", "Don't Be Denied", "Love In Mind", and "Last Dance". Includes the bonus track "Last Trip To Tulsa". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous return to form for the great Brian Jackson – an artist that most folks know for his legendary 70s work with Gil Scott-Heron, but one who's kept on making great music for years after Gil departed our planet! Here, Jackson's the lead talent on Fender Rhodes, flute, and other instruments – working alongside core funky backdrops from Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – in a mode that follows up the spirit of their other releases in the Jazz Is Dead series, but with a vibe that's darker and moodier overall! There's a great edge going on here – and the bassline are especially heavy at times, which seems to make Jackson push even stronger than he might – filling up all the spaces with beautiful sounds that show the musician at his jazziest. Titles include "Mars Walk", "Nancy Wilson", "Young Muhammad", "Guality", "Bain De Minuit", "Ethiopian Sunshower", and "Under The Bridge". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer classic from a time when the Chicago house scene was really taking off – that second generation of underground productions that was tagged with the "acid" term, because of the way they were using older riffs and keyboards to change things up! The Brits got that all wrong, and thought the word was a drug reference – and ended up taking way too much E in the process – but in Chicago, the term meant a new sort of sophistication for house music, and a warmer sound than the first few years too – deeper soul, more interesting keyboard parts, and a door opening to vocals and other elements that would help build a bridge between underground club and a rising tide in the mainstream. There's few records that document that shift as well as this one – a gem on the Hot Mix 5 label, put together by Mickey Oliver, who also had a hand in some of the music too. Titles include "Dream Girl" by Pierre's Fantasy Club, "Can You Feel The Bass" by Phortune, "151" by Armando, "World Turns Around" by Cool McCool, "Jiggerwatts" by Phortune, "The Juice" and "Ecstasy" by Fingers and "Mix Pump Up The Acid" by Mickey Oliver & Ralphie Rosario. CD

One of the fantastic albums issued by Giorno Poetry Systems – a wonderful bridge between high and low in the New York scene – as some tracks are spoken straight, and some have music – in a wonderful mix of talents. Tracks include "Imaginatin' Cocktail" by David Johansen, "Exiled In Domestic Life" by John Giorno, "Dinosaurs" by William S Burroughs, "Unclean" by Psychic TV, "What Is It" by Lydia Lunch, "The Rev Hell Gets Confused", by Richard Hell, "Alisa", by Arto Lindsay, "A Peculiar-Looking Girl" by Jim Carroll, "Uh-Oh Pletonium" by Ann Waldman, and "Candy Bullets & Moon" by Meredith Monk. LP, Vinyl record album

An imagined soundtrack to a journey through London in the generation of Get Carter and Carnaby Street – and one that showcases not just the rich array of sounds and styles that were taking place in the city at the time, and in a way that highlights all sorts of different locations around town! This isn't a package of well-worn British rock classics – and as with other Bob Stanley sets on Ace Records, the music comes from a deep dig and decades-long understanding of records in many modes – which makes for a track selection that's as sublime as it is surprising, and another revelatory collection from Mr Stanley! There's two dozen gems on the collection – some we've never heard, some we'd forgotten about – all of which sound great in the company of each other – with titles that include "Hampstead Way" by Linda Lewis, "Cutty Sark" by John Barry, "Sunny Goodge Street" by Marianne Faithfull, "Marcel's" by Herman's Hermits, "London Bridge" by Cilla Black, "Mayfair" by Nick Drake, "Vauxhall To Lambeth Bridge" by Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll, "City Road" by Dave Evans, "Beckton Dumps" by Humble Pie, "Notting Hill Gate" by Quintessence, "Friday Hill" by Bulldog Breed, "Goodbye Post Office Tower" by Cressida, "Kew Gardens" by Ralph McTell, and "Euston Station" by Barbara Ruskin. CD

A mad mix of sounds from the glory days of Indian cinema – served up in a package that offers up a much broader blend of styles than other Bollywood collections – as it features numbers from the late 50s all the way through the early 80s! Some of the tracks here have a rockish vibe that's great – romping rhythms, organ and guitars, and a sharp vibe that's contrasted by some of the fuller numbers from later years – including a few nuggets from the heyday of Bollywood funk! The whole thing is upbeat and grooving all the way through – with work by Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Kishor Kumar, Kamal Hasaan, Geeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, and others – from films that include Ek Phool Char Kante, Sholay, Aazhi, Bhoot Bungla, Intinti Raamayanam, Blackmail, Junglee, and Howrah Bridge. LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool cuts from the UK Cavendish Sound Library – all very much in the best funky Brit tradition of work from the KPM and DeWolfe sound libraries that we first fell in love with many years ago! Much of the work here is done by the great Dennis Farnon – a jazz arranger from earlier years, but one who developed a great ear for mixing in just the right balance of electricity in the rhythms with warmer, jazzier horns – a style that's followed by the other talents on the set too – all to form a really great bridge between more sophisticated jazz and soundtrack modes of the time, and some of the tighter elements of blacksploitation funk. Titles include "Pardon", "South Bound", "Border Incident", "Tournament", "Snowmobile", and "The Trackers" by Dennis Farnon – plus "You Were Right I Was" and "Wheeler Dealer" by Trevor Duncan, "Secret Mission" and "Monomania" by Ray Davies, and "Two Bars" by Pete Moore. LP, Vinyl record album

The great Jimmy Webb is one of our favorite songwriters of the 60s – a young man at the start, but one who could come across with a maturity that few of his contemporaries could match – arguably setting the scene for a key step into adult pop that would really explode in the 70s! Yet by that, we don't mean that Webb is any sort of "adult contemporary" figure from the softer side of the spectrum – as his tunes are open, honest, and filled with an understanding of the heart and its ability to break, delivered in ways that are still as powerful today as they were back when first written. The package features some of Jimmy's greatest songs, some in their famous recordings, but many more in lesser-known takes that only stand as further testament to Webb's words on the page – which really work some magic, no matter what the setting! In the best Ace tradition, the whole thing comes with a superb set of notes and details on the material – mostly late 60s tracks from Jimmy's key years, but a few gems from later too. Titles include "If This Was The Last Song" by Dee Dee Warwick, "I Keep It Hid" by The Supremes, "Carpet Man" by The Nocturnes, "I Need You" by Shane Martin, "Midnight Mail" by Joey Scarbury, "MacArthur Park" by Waylon Jennings, "Do What You Gotta Do" by Nina Simone, "The Worst That Could Happen" by BJ Thomas, "Requiem 820 Latham" by Mel Torme, "Magic Garden" by Dusty Springfield, "Rosecrans Blvd" by 5th Dimension, "Honey Come Back" by Chuck Jackson, "Wichita Lineman" by Tony Joe White, "Didn't We" by James Darren, "Which Way To Nowhere" by Brooklyn Bridge, and "Clowns Exit Laughing" by The Fortunes. CD

The Crate Diggers definitely know their way around an Italian club track – and this set's a really well-done collection of the kind of imports that bubbled around in the early 80s, and formed a nice bridge between some of the colder sounds of UK post-punk dance, and the new grooves that were coming up on the scenes in Chicago and New York! There's no denying that these tracks had an influence on house music, but they're also maybe a bit more tuneful, focused, and catchy too – often with spare but strong vocal hooks that really send the tunes over the top! Titles include "Spacer Woman" by Charlie, "Hypnotic Tango" by My Mine, "Take A Chance" by Mr Flagio, "Remember" by Vivian Vee, "Feel The Drive" by Doctor's Cat, "I Need Love" by Capricorn, "That's The Game" by Wet, and "Happy Children" by P Lion. CD

The Easy Tempo groove is wider than ever here – still plenty funky, but also jazzy and groovy too – with some mod 60s influences filtering into the mix, and even a bit of vocals too! As always, the style is heavy on Italian soundtrack modes – that great blend of bossa, jazz, and other elements that graced so many cinematic excursions of the period – and which have been beautifully re-presented by Easy Tempo over the course of their excellent series. Set features titles that include "Sweden" by Tito Fontana, "Caccia Al Ladro" by Armando Trovajoli, "Tap 5" by Ettore Ballotta, "Notte In Allegria" by Piero Umiliani, "Golden Gate Bridge" by Riz Ortolani, "Gangster Song" by Piero Umiliani, "Ebony Ride" by Piero Piccioni, "Gordon Blues" by Francesco De Masi, "Concerto Blues" by Gianni Ferrio, and "Glad" by Lou Stein Trio. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue entry in this legendary series of compilations – one that taught us an awful lot about funky soundtrack music back in the day, finally back in action after a long hiatus! This time around, the groove has gotten even deeper – as the series has stretched to include some killer sound library material as well – really mixing together all the jazz, funk, and cinematic elements that were in the previous volumes – yet all with the hip Euro-styled groove that we loved in all of those releases too! There's a huge amount of funky nuggets here, but all with a vibe that's very different than 70s work from the US scene – and although we've missed the Easy Tempo series for many years, we're so glad to have them back – as they're still one of the best. Titles include "Take Me To New York" by Brooklyn Bridge Group, "Undertown" by Orchestra Mustang, "First Time Three" by Roberto Pregadio, "Angelus" by Soul's Soul, "African Flute" by Ninety, "Super Cat" by Les Chakachas, "Sunshine Train" by Hugh Bullen, "Un Uomo Che Lavora" by Carlo Cordara E I Waterloo, "Meeting" by Gino Marinaaci, and "Guida Sicura" by Enzo Scoppa. CD

A long-overdue entry in this legendary series of compilations – one that taught us an awful lot about funky soundtrack music back in the day, finally back in action after a long hiatus! This time around, the groove has gotten even deeper – as the series has stretched to include some killer sound library material as well – really mixing together all the jazz, funk, and cinematic elements that were in the previous volumes – yet all with the hip Euro-styled groove that we loved in all of those releases too! There's a huge amount of funky nuggets here, but all with a vibe that's very different than 70s work from the US scene – and although we've missed the Easy Tempo series for many years, we're so glad to have them back – as they're still one of the best. Titles include "Take Me To New York" by Brooklyn Bridge Group, "Undertown" by Orchestra Mustang, "First Time Three" by Roberto Pregadio, "Angelus" by Soul's Soul, "African Flute" by Ninety, "Super Cat" by Les Chakachas, "Sunshine Train" by Hugh Bullen, "Un Uomo Che Lavora" by Carlo Cordara E I Waterloo, "Meeting" by Gino Marinaaci, and "Guida Sicura" by Enzo Scoppa. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the oddest titles in the Funky Delicacies series, but some great grooves nonetheless – and the kind of music that really shows the label opening up a bit more than before! Lots of the cuts here fall into the space between funk and uptempo soul – tracks that groove at a pace that's often a bit faster than deep funk – yet which still feature live funk instrumentation, and an overall sound that's tight and gritty! Most numbers have vocals, and although we might have hoped for a bit more in the way of liner notes, the music here stands up pretty well on its own! Titles include "Try It You'll Like It (part 1)" by Del Ingrid, "Stick Your Finger In The Ground (parts 1 & 2)" by Bridge, "Booties" and "Boo On You" by Chuck Jones & Company, "Life Ain't Easy (voc, inst)" by The Electric Express, "Where You Comin From (parts 1 & 2)" by The Electric Express, and "You've Blown My Mind (parts 1 & 2)" by The Versatile Gents. LP, Vinyl record album

A host of southern soul tracks – all presented here in versions that have never been issued before – as they're all the original takes of the tunes that were first tone for Ace Records of Mississippi! You'll recognize a few of these tunes, which sound different in the earlier takes – and there's also plenty of other more obscure numbers you won't know at all – served up in modes that bridge the New Orleans soul and deeper Mississippi music that Ace did so well at the end of the 50s. CD features 24 tracks in all – and titles include "I Was Wrong" by Roland Cook, "Can't Let You Go" by Albert Scott, "Heaven Came Down" by Calvin Spears, "Mr Blues" by Joe & Ann, "I Know" by Bobby Marchan, "Blessed Are These Tears" by Joe Tex, "Gee Baby" by Joe & Ann, "Yes I Got You" by Chuck Carbo, "Honey Honey" by The Supremes, "Teenage Rock" by Little Booker, and "My Love Is Strong" by Earl King. CD

An incredible collection of work from the great John Cameron – kind of a secret hero on the British scene of the late 60s and early 70s – as most of his work was done for bigger artists at the time, or came out on obscure sound library sessions! Yet despite that obscurity, Cameron was a true hero of the time – a jazz musician who was able to bring a fresh sensibility to the studio when supporting the work of key artists on their important records – maybe most famously in collaboration with Donovan, but heard here working with a variety of different rock, folk, soul, and other artists – all of whom really benefit from the John Cameron touch! We've always loved Cameron's work in the studio, are always thrilled to see his name on a record – and this collection is maybe the first to really showcase his contributions to the world in a really unified way – all with the usual Ace Records strong attention to details and great liner notes too. Titles include "Barnes Bridge" by Harold McNair, "Willow's Harp" by World Of Oz, "Boat Trip" by Gordon Haskell, "Ding Dong The Wicked Witch Is Dead" by Julie Felix, "The Observation" by Donovan, "Avenues & Alleyways" by Tony Christie, "Everybody Needs Somebody" by The Fascinations, "Isn't This Where We Came In" by Lionel Bart, "A Road To Nowhere" by Lesly Duncan, "Open Your Window" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Primrose Hill" by Kathe Green, "Cleopatra Jones" by Bobby Harrison, and "Brother" by CCS – plus "Half Forgotten Daydreams", "Heat Haze", and "Kes" by Cameron himself. CD

70s spiritual soul jazz lives again – in this righteous tribute to the late John Coltrane! The incredible collection is filled with wonderful tracks both classic and current – and is a great bridge between the first waves of this kind of music at the end of the 60s, and the contemporary revival that's been going on at a global level! Perhaps the best thing here is the way that there's no apparent difference in sound or style between the old and new cuts – and the folks at Free Spirits have really found a way to make the whole thing flow together wonderfully by selecting music that's deeply soulful, extremely positive, and filled with soaring vocals and instrumental solos! Titles include "Mode For Trane" by Billy Gault, "Naima" by Mark De Clive-Lowe, "A Love Supreme" by Rufus Harley, "John Coltrane's A Love Supreme" by Karin Krog & Nils Lindberg, "Duke & Trane" by Haikki Samarto Ensemble, "John Coltrane" by Our Cry For Peace (Dwight Trible/Build An Ark), "Prince Of Peace" by Pharoah Sanders, "Liberation Of The Spirit" by Kamau Daaood, "Naima" by 4 Hero, and "A Love Supreme" by Dwight Trible. CD

A great little discovery from the 60s – work from a teeny tiny Canadian label, but all of it pretty darn great! Not many groups recorded for the Gaeity Records label, but they all seem to be pretty well skilled at picking up on the best elements of 60s psyche pop and garage – all delivered here with a simple but effective groove that's almost a bridge between the LA and Chicago scenes of the mid 60s. CD features 24 tracks in all – broken into sections group by group – and titles include "World Of Dreams" and "Only In America" by The Plague, "Lies" and "Nature's Love" by Solid Reputation, "So Much In Love With You" and "My Time Is Comin" by The Checkerlads, "If You Can Dig It" and "Ode To A Cucumber, A Berry, & A Flower" by The Dewline, "Lexington Avenue" by Farmer John, "Yours Until Tomorrow" and "That's The Tune" by Flying Colours, "To Be Back Home" and "I Brought My Love With Me" by NRG/Merriday Park, and "Baby Get Out" and "Set Me Free" by Portland Street South. CD

They liked things raw in Texas in the 60s – a place where garage bands often worked heavily in fuzz and freak, so much so that they often had a psychedelic current in their music! This set really lives up to that legacy, and also digs deeper than most to a source of tracks that's completely rare – the tiny Sea Ell label, which is presented here in a host of shortly-circulated singles, plus rare demo material too! CD1 features 22 tracks that comprise all the singles on the label – we think with a and b-sides for most – on work by The Coachmen, Knights Bridge, The Intruders, George Washington & The Cherry Stompers, Derby Hatville, Satyn's Children, and The Wolves. CD2 features demo material – five 1967 demos by the Smokin Bananas, plus 15 more 1966 demos by The Intruders. CD

A third healthy dose of music from the early years of the Jamaican scene – work that's a direct precursor to the trio group soul mode of the rocksteady years, and which provides a great bridge into the way that American soul music went on to have such a strong influence on reggae! The "doo wop" in the title is key here – as these tracks are definitely heavy on harmonies and lighter on instrumentation – very much tied to American expressions of the genre, and delivered by artists who'd both go on to later fame, and disappear in the shifting sands of time. Titles include "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. LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking instrumentals from the California scene of the early 60s – tracks that nicely bridge the space between surf guitar, R&B, and exotica – served up with plenty of sax, organ, and searing guitar! Most of the work here came from the studios of tiny Downey Records – done in a rough-edged, garagey style that's simple, but extremely effective – and a really nice contrast to mainstream California instrumentals of the time. The groups vary throughout, but most of the tunes are linked with a shared production technique that uses heavy echo, straightforward performance, and the occasional spare added element to spice up the music – a really great sound that has plenty of dark edges! Titles include "Migrane" and "Eight Ball" by The Hustlers, "Blockade" and "Here Comes The Bug" by The Rumblers, "Intoxica" and "Comanche" by The Revels, "Space Battle" by Stories In Sound, "Water Wheel" by Chuck Higgins, "Here Comes The Sun" by The Rumblers, "Rosemary's Baby" by Ed Burkey, "Ghost Of Mary Meade (part 2)" by Little Caesar & The Ark Angels, A Week From Tuesday" by The Pastel Six, and "Theme Of Etiquette" by The Hindus. CD

Deep, deep disco selected by Johnny "D" DeMairo – one of the more pivotal underground club music figures of the past couple decades, via his role in setting up the Henry Street imprint – here putting together an incredible set of the rare disco greatness! This the the expansive, floor-shaking, genre-straddling stuff that inspired the house and clubby soul scenes to come – and it's one of the best compilations of harder-to-find disco that's we've gotten our hands in years. The setlist features a divers mix of famous and lesser-remembered names – with styles ranging from straight forward disco stormers to strains of earlyish electro and 80s grooves – benchmark singles and inventive productions that bridge the eras! Tracks by Cerrone, Kasso, Skyy, The System, The O'Jays and more! Disc One of the 2CD edition feature 19 tracks mixed masterfully: "Ride On The Rhythm" by Mahogany feat Bernice Watkins, "Time For Live" by The Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band, "It's Passion" by The System, "Spank" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Call Me" by Skyy, "Dance For Every" by Gaucho, "We're On The Right Track" by Ultra High Frequency and more. CD Two features 13 unmixed disco jams: "This Time Baby" by The O'Jays, "How To Win Your Love" by Spencer Jones, "Dub Till We Drop" by La Fluer, "I've Got To Find A Way" by Zena Djonay, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy and more. CD

A mighty deep dive into the music of the Private Stock label of the 70s – a short-lived but important imprint in the disco generation, and one who did a lot to bridge the worlds of soul, rock, and pop in the clubs! PS maybe didn't go as deep as Salsoul or some other contemporaries, but they did turn out some great cuts that managed to balance polish and groove in a really great way – qualities that really come out strongly here on the collection, which does a mighty nice job of getting past bigger hits to focus on more obscure Private Stock tunes from the time! The set's got 21 titles in all – and titles include "I'll See You In My Dreams" by The Pearls, "Gotta Find A Way" by Wild Honey, "Love Connection" by The Mob, "Think It Over" by Cissy Houston, "Good Bread Alley" by Soul Mate, "Disco Satisfaction Medley" by Tommi, "Jig A Boogie" by Tightrope, "Let's Get Crazy Tonight" by Rupert Holmes, "I Can't Help Myself" by Franklin Micare, "This Old Man" by Purple Reign, "More" by Toga, and "Sunshine Of My Love" by Rosetta Stone. CD

Music from Battle Of Britain, The Guns Of Navarone, Patton, The Bridge On The River Kwai, Das Boot, The Great Escape, Battle Of Midway, and more – 20 tracks total. CD

Saint Etienne have brought us a number of wonderful compilations over the years – both in this format for Ace Records, and their work on their own great Croydon Municipal label – yet as much as we've loved all those others, we may well love this one the best – as it's a sublime blend of 60s soul, tear-stained pop, and cool numbers with a New York sort of sound! The focus is mostly on tracks from the mid 60s – and the work here often feels like the special sort of tracks the Brill Building talents might have been working on into the night, before stepping down to the Carnegie Deli for a snack – the kind of special songs that were often too sophisticated to make the charts, but which stand out all these many years later as true moments of genius from the 60s. As usual with a Saint Etienne set, there's a huge amount here we've never heard before – all given proper presentation by Ace Records, along with a full booklet of notes. Titles include "Night Hawk" by The Valli Boys, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Sharp, "Up On The Bridge" by The Chiffons, "Don't" by Marva Josie, "I'm Your Man" by Chuck Jackson, "Boy You Love Me" by Joan Moody, "Catch Me In The Meadow" by The Tradewinds, "He's A Lover" by Tutti Hill, "Let's Stop Fooling Ourselves" by Eddie Jones, "Is This The Way To Treat A Girl" by The Hesitations, "Summer's Comin In" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, and "Park Avenue" by Lou Johnson. CD

A second entry in this very cool series, but one that's very different than the first – as the "driving" in the title means that most of these tracks have a very cool groove – kind of the darker side of new club music styles of the time, with maybe just a hint of the cold wave generation to come! Given how far back this material goes, the set shows just how much German experiments influenced the rise of UK electronic work in the post-punk generation of early Human League and Cabaret Voltaire – as there's a link here with some of the darker sounds on Rough Trade during that period, and much of the material serves as a great bridge between Krautrock of earlier days and the German new wave of the 80s. Electronics are in full effect, with plenty of keyboards and electric rhythms – and titles include "Fur Dich (bureau b edit)" by Thomas Singer, "Time Machine" by Adelbert Von Deyen, "Puls (bureau b edit)" by Gunter Schickert, "Juggernaut" by Faust, "Phonique" by Serge Blenner, "Subito" by Moebius & Beerbohm, "180" by Pyrolator, "Auf Engelsfugeln (bureau b edit)" by Deutsch Wertarbeit, "Eve On The Hill (bureau b edit)" by Harald Grosskopf, and "Bockwurst A La Maitresse" by Asmus Tietchens. LP, Vinyl record album

Gary, Indiana is maybe best known as the hometown of the Jackson 5 – but the city also had plenty of other soul singers back in the day – as you'll discover on this really well-done collection of tracks! The set's titled after the Chicago Skyway, a huge industrial structure that links the south side of the Windy City with Gary – and that link is a key one, as many of the artists here have a resonance with Chicago soul too – working with qualities that are often a bit more sophisticated than usual, and not as directly aimed at the charts or the dancefloor – a really special breed of soul music that makes for a wonderfully rich collection! As usual with Numero, the package is as great as the track list – and titles include "Trouble" by General Lee & Lost Weekend, "Sweet Jo-Ann" by El Anthony, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "So I Can Make This Change" by The Krash Band, "Bridge Of Love" by Lost Weekend, "Give Your Love To Me" by Wilton Crump, "Don't Be Afraid" by Sky's The Limit, "Let's Ride" by Junei, "You Just Be You" by Into New Dimensions, "I Need Your Love" by Billy Foster, "Pleasure" by General Lee, "Night Music" by Billy Foster, "The Look On Your Face" by Nate Evans & Mean Green, and "We've Been In Love Too Long" by El Anthony. LP, Vinyl record album

Gary, Indiana is maybe best known as the hometown of the Jackson 5 – but the city also had plenty of other soul singers back in the day – as you'll discover on this really well-done collection of tracks! The set's titled after the Chicago Skyway, a huge industrial structure that links the south side of the Windy City with Gary – and that link is a key one, as many of the artists here have a resonance with Chicago soul too – working with qualities that are often a bit more sophisticated than usual, and not as directly aimed at the charts or the dancefloor – a really special breed of soul music that makes for a wonderfully rich collection! As usual with Numero, the package is as great as the track list – and titles include "Trouble" by General Lee & Lost Weekend, "Sweet Jo-Ann" by El Anthony, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "So I Can Make This Change" by The Krash Band, "Bridge Of Love" by Lost Weekend, "Give Your Love To Me" by Wilton Crump, "Don't Be Afraid" by Sky's The Limit, "Let's Ride" by Junei, "You Just Be You" by Into New Dimensions, "I Need Your Love" by Billy Foster, "Pleasure" by General Lee, "Night Music" by Billy Foster, "The Look On Your Face" by Nate Evans & Mean Green, and "We've Been In Love Too Long" by El Anthony. LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s soul treasure chest! This excellent CD sorts through some incredible lost sides on the Atlantic catalog of the 70s – and it features an amazing selection of work by artists who only ever cut singles or one-off LPs for the label and its subsidiaries. The overall groove is sweet, mellow, and very soulful – and titles include "Just My Way Of Loving You" by Garland Green, "Let Me Show You" by Larry Wu, "I'm So Happy" by Prince Phillip Mitchell, "Come On, Let Me Love You" by Moses Smith, "Save Your Love For Me" by Vivian Reed, "Kiss My Love Goodbye" by Bettye Swann, "The Rising Cost Of Love" by Darrow Fletcher, "Baby Don't Hold Your Love Back" by Bridge, "You're Too Hot To Hold" by Barbara Lynn, "You Got The Best Of Me" by Ronn Matlock, "Love Bandit" by Patti & The Lovelites, and "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone. 24 cuts in all – with loads of rare stuff! CD

It might be a bit of a stretch to say that things were going mod in 1957 – as the London mod movement still had a few years to come – but modern jazz was certainly taking over the scene in the city, thanks to a huge rise of homegrown acts who were serving up their own response to American work on labels like Blue Note and Prestige! This set's full of some of the best to appear at the time – a great lineup of London players at their best – with cuts that include "Sputnik" by Dick Heckstall Smith, "Cheek To Cheek" by the Jazz Couriers, "Monkey Business" by Kenny Graham's Afro Cubists, "Cinders" by Vic Ash Plus Four, "Chelsea Bridge" by Derek Smith, "Four" by Tubby Hayes & Victor Feldman, "Headin North" by Johnny Keating, "Salt Air" by Dave Lee, "Act One Scene One" by Kenny Baker's Half Dozen, and "Pittsburgh Opener" by Ronnie Scott. As a bonus, the set also features a full CD of American artists who were also making Soho hop at the time – work by Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, and others. CD

A great overview of a really fantastic label for jazz and avant garde material in the late 70s – the Japanese-only Why Not imprint, which was briefly a great home for some of the best work by key American players from both the AACM and the loft jazz generation! The label only issued a small amount of albums, most of which never saw release in the US – records that provided a key bridge for important artists in the years between earlier material for labels like Demark or Strata East, and some of the new wave of jazz recordings that would take place in Europe during the 80s. The quality level here is top-shelf all the way – and the tracks are some of the best by these artists from the period – a selection of 16 titles that include "To Yaisa & Wanda With Luv" by Donald Smith, "Ted Tempo" by Ted Curson, "Re-Entry" by Charles Sullivan, "Pepe's Samba" by Chico Freeman, "Mode For Trane" by Joe Lee Wilson, "Triangle" by Joe Bonner, "Gratitude" by Don Pullen, "On Green Dolphin Street" by Manhattan Graffiti Four, "Raindrops" by Andrew Cyrille, "Tell Us Only The Beautiful Things" by Walt Dickerson, "The Black Cat" by Monty Waters, and "Invitation" by Sonny Fortune. CD

Funky nuggets from one of the greatest reggae labels of all time – a really wonderful collection that gets at some of the more hard-hitting material from Kingston powerhouse Studio One Records! Given the way that Studio One helped bridge the worlds of soul during the years of Jamaican ska and rocksteady, the funk is no surprise – and the package features both remakes of American funky numbers and plenty of homegrown cuts, all served up by some of the giants from the scene at the time. Titles include "Sidewalk Doctor" by Pablove Black, "007" by Soul Brothers, "Love Jah" by Sound Dimension, "Do Your Thing" by Leroy Sibbles, "Idleberg" by Cedric Im Brooks, "African Descendants" by Alton Ellis, "Reggae Feet" by Lloyd Williams, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "Beat Down Babylon" by Prince Frances, "Funky Broadway" by Delroy Wilson, "It's A Shame" by Alton Ellis, "Melting Pot" by Underground Vegetables, "Music Answer" by The Sharks, and a surprising remake of "Shaft" by the unlikely Cedric Im Brooks. CD

Funky nuggets from one of the greatest reggae labels of all time – a really wonderful collection that gets at some of the more hard-hitting material from Kingston powerhouse Studio One Records! Given the way that Studio One helped bridge the worlds of soul during the years of Jamaican ska and rocksteady, the funk is no surprise – and the package features both remakes of American funky numbers and plenty of homegrown cuts, all served up by some of the giants from the scene at the time. Titles include "Sidewalk Doctor" by Pablove Black, "007" by Soul Brothers, "Love Jah" by Sound Dimension, "Do Your Thing" by Leroy Sibbles, "Idleberg" by Cedric Im Brooks, "African Descendants" by Alton Ellis, "Reggae Feet" by Lloyd Williams, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "Beat Down Babylon" by Prince Frances, "Funky Broadway" by Delroy Wilson, "It's A Shame" by Alton Ellis, "Melting Pot" by Underground Vegetables, "Music Answer" by The Sharks, and a surprising remake of "Shaft" by the unlikely Cedric Im Brooks. LP, Vinyl record album