22 songs from Buddy Cunningham, Smokey Joe, Carl Perkins, Billy Riley, Jean Chapel, Malcolm Yelvington, Sonny Burgess,and Warren Smith. CD

22 songs from Kenny Parchman, Barbara Pittman, Ray Harris, Slim Rhodes, Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Riley, Sonny Burgess, Glenn Honeycutt, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. CD

22 songs from Warren Smith, Wade & Dick, Jim Williams, Ray Harris, Carl Perkins, Edwin Bruce, Billy Riley, Tommy Blake, Hayden Thompson, Barbara Pittman, and Bill Justis. CD

24 songs from Bill Justis,Wayne Powers, Rudy Grayzell, Edwin Bruce, The Sun Rays, Magel Priesman, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dickey Lee, Ray Smith, Gene Simmons, and Tommy Blake. CD

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers". CD

Killer King Records material from Wynonie Brown – 20 raunchy R&B numbers that were crucial to the invention of rock & roll! CD

One of Lee's totally great hard bop sessions for Vee Jay, recorded around the time of his best early work for Blue Note, and with a good hard group that includes Clifford Jordan on tenor, Eddie Higgins on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. The material's a tight set of tracks that includes originals by Jordan, Higgins, Morgan, and Wayne Shorter – with titles like "Fire", "Lost & Found", "The Hearing", "Triple Threat", and "Expoobidient" – all burners that really sum up the majestic power of the young Lee Morgan at his best! CD

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22 songs from Warren Smith, Wade & Dick, Jim Williams, Ray Harris, Carl Perkins, Edwin Bruce, Billy Riley, Tommy Blake, Hayden Thompson, Barbara Pittman, and Bill Justis. CD

60 tracks. CD

A great live session from the glory days of the Chicago electric blues scene, originally released on Vee Jay, and lovingly repackaged here by Charly. Tracks include "Wish Me Well", "Messin Around", "Slim's Blues", "Steppin' Out", "Rockin The House", and "The Come Back". Plus, the CD's got 4 non-LP bonus cuts: "Guitar Cha Cha", "Stroll On Little Girl", "What's The Matter", and "This Time I'm Through". CD

16 classic tracks from The Meters – all pulled from their late 60s years on Josie Records! CD

Includes 61 tracks – all recorded at the famed NYC club! CD

A crucial album from Archie Shepp – one that finds him enjoying new freedoms on the French scene at the end of the 60s – which then helps him take off from his earlier Impulse Records modes, at a level he'd then bring back to the label in the early 70s! There's a very free-thinking sense of combination here – as Shepp is breaking down from his idea of a more unified sound in the material – and opens the door at points to work from Jeanne Lee on voice and Chicago Beau and Julio Finn on harmonicas – in a lineup that also includes Malachi Favors on bass, Dave Burrell on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. These are long, spiritual tracks that comprise some of his best European recordings of the time, and the titles include "There is a Balm in Gilead", "Touareg", "Blase", and "My Angel" – plus a strong reading of "Sophisticated Lady" – which maybe points the way towards some of the Shepp experiments in the late 70s. CD

A tremendous bit of jazz history – 2 classic Archie Shepp albums on 1 CD! Yasmina features Archie Shepp at his spiritual best – recording in Paris in 1969, and absorbing a heck of a lot of pan-African influences! The centerpiece of the album is the amazing "Yasmina" – a long track that builds with passion and fire, pulsing with an intensity that you'd expect more from Pharoah Sanders than Shepp himself. Next up is "Sonny's Back", a wonderful straight jazz groover with Archie and Hank Mobley on twin tenors upfront – making a rare and memorable recorded appearance together! The set's capped off by a mellow version of "Body & Soul", one that points towards the more soulful side of Shepp's work in the 70s. Poem For Malcolm is one of Shepp's most memorable LPs for BYG. Side one has him playing with Burton Greene, Alan Silva, Philly Joe Jones, and Claude Delcloo on the extended Mamarose/Poem For Malcolm. The track starts out with very free playing, then moves into a more subdued passage, with Shepp's recitation of his "Poem For Malcolm". Side two has a great lineup that includes Grachan Moncour III, Malachi Favors, and Hank Mobley, who gives one of the wildest performances of his life! The group runs through the 20 minute track Rain Forest/Oleo, and begins with a dark, spare performance, then leaps into a reading of "Oleo" that's filled with fire. CD

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Features songs by Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, Dale Hawkins, Lee Andrews & The Hearts, The Monotones, Chuck Berry, Jimmy McCracklin, Buddy Guy, Betty James, The Sensations, and more – 16 tracks in all! CD

Music from Fats Noel, The Four Jacks, Bull Moose Jackson, The Drivers, Dorothy Ellis, The Swallows, Fluffy Hunter, Todd Rhodes, The Sharps & Flats, Lil Greenwood, and more - 21 tracks in all. CD

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Obscure Holiday work from James Brown – not the oft-compiled tracks from his late 60s years at King Records, but some later numbers that show that Brown could still turn out one heck of a Christmas tune! James' vocals are at their older best – still surprisingly powerful, and able to serve up a seasonal message with a lot more soul than just about anyone else we can think of – and even when the backings are a bit contemporary, the tunes take on a more classic soul feel once the Godfather comes into the mix! Titles include "God Gave Me This", "Reindeer On The Rooftop", "Funky Christmas", "Clean For Christmas", "Mom & Dad", "Not Just Another Holiday", and "Christmas Is For Everyone". CD

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Chunky funky soul from the great Lee Dorsey – a motherlode of his best work from the late 60s – groundbreaking New Orleans soul, most of which was produced with a heavy edge by Allen Toussaint! The set kicks off with 2 early R&B-ish numbers – "Ya Ya" and "Do Re Me" – but then rolls into a track list of 16 more cuts of funky 60s soul – including "My Old Car", "Ride Your Pony", "Holy Cow", "Sneakin Sally Through The Alley", "Night People", "Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky", "Get Out of My Life Woman", and "Working in the Coal Mine". CD

One of the sweetest Funkadelic albums from the middle period, and a good batch of tracks that often gets overlooked in the haze of similar Pedro Bell covers! Don't miss this one, though – because it is a very strong album – key in the shift from more guitar-based funk to more groove-oriented rhythms – and a record that's got more than a few tasty numbers. Includes nice ones like "You Scared The Lovin Outta Me", "Comin Round The Mountain", and "If You Got Funk, You Got Style", plus a live version of "Cosmic Slop" that's totally great! CD

A classic group from the New York downtown scene – with Anton Fier on drums, Arto Lindsay on guitar and vocals, Bill Laswell on bass, Fred Frith on guitar, David Moss on sounds, and John Zorn on alto and game calls! CD

The first album from Gong – and a weird little masterpiece that's left an undeniable imprint over the years! There's a definite proggish feel to the set, and some jazz rock elements too – but the overall approach is considerably madder than most at the time – hardly headed for the charts, and with more than enough space for weird little twists and turns that really keep things interesting! Production has a nicely rough quality that makes the record quite different from the group's later work – and the lyrics have a nicely looney feel that's a bit like work by Syd Barrett or Kevin Ayers. Titles include "Radio Gnome", "You Can't Kill Me", "Tried So Hard", "Tropical Fish Selene", "Squeezing Sponges Over Policemen's Heads", and "Wet Cheese Delirium". CD

The first album from Gong – and a weird little masterpiece that's left an undeniable imprint over the years! There's a definite proggish feel to the set, and some jazz rock elements too – but the overall approach is considerably madder than most at the time – hardly headed for the charts, and with more than enough space for weird little twists and turns that really keep things interesting! Production has a nicely rough quality that makes the record quite different from the group's later work – and the lyrics have a nicely looney feel that's a bit like work by Syd Barrett or Kevin Ayers. Titles include "Radio Gnome", "You Can't Kill Me", "Tried So Hard", "Tropical Fish Selene", "Squeezing Sponges Over Policemen's Heads", and "Wet Cheese Delirium". CD

One of the most striking early albums from Daevid Allen and Gong – and very well-placed on the BYG label, given that it features contributions from avant jazz musicians – including Burton Greene on piano, Didier Malherbe on flute and soprano, and Barre Phillips on bass! Gilly Smyth contributes vocals next to Allen – and also provides a "space whisper too" – on titles that include "Ego", "Gongsong", "Mystic Sister", "Pretty Miss Titty", and "Cos You Got Green Hair". CD

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With 19 tracks including "Chicken Strut", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Ease Back", "Dry Spell", "Yeah Your Right", "Pungee", and "Message From The Meters". CD

Excellent work from the second half of Aaron Neville's career – when he was recording in a more modern style for the Sansu team of Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn. Funk fans will dig the classic "Hercules", as well as the dark ballad "Make Me Strong", which has a great piano/drum intro. Other titles include "Wild Flower", "Speak To Me", "She's On My Mind", "Mojo Hannah", "Been So Wrong", "The Greatest Love", "All These Things", and "Struttin On Sunday". There's a few cheesy spots, but with 18 tracks and a low price, there's more than enough nice bits! CD

With 20 tracks including "I Believe In You", "Walkin In The Sun", "Out Of Left Field", "Good Love", "When A Man Loves A Woman", "You Send Me", and "It Tears Me Up". CD

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Includes the albums The First Recordings, Five Live Yardbirds, For Your Love, Having A Rave Up, and Odds, Sods & Sundries. CD

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Seminal soul from one of Chicago's greatest labels in the 60s – the One-Der-Ful/Mar-V-Lus imprints, plus tracks from related Toddlin Town too – home to some of the best indie work at the time! The quality here is right up there with the best you'd hear from Chess, Okeh, or Brunswick in the 60s – no surprise, since the pair of labels shared lots of similar talents with the bigger companies – as well as session men, songwriters, and producers too! The full scope of Chicago soul is really covered here – upbeat groovers for the dancefloor, heartfelt ballads with great harmonies, and some of the harder-edged bluesy numbers that really helped put One-Der-Ful on the map! There's also some key early examples of funk – proof that in the 60s, Chicago was one of the hippest scenes in the world – and the set comes with 2 CDs, nestled in a hardback booklet of notes and photos – with a whopping 50 tracks in all. Titles include "Tired Of Being Lonely" by The Sharpees, "Without You" by The Ulti-Mations, "That's How It Is" by Otis Clay, "Keep On Dancin" by Alvin Cash, "The Funky Judge" by Bull & The Matadors, "I Get A Groove" by Thomas East & The Fabulous Playboys, "Damper Down" by Bobby Davis, "The Town I Live In" by McKinley Mitchell, "Come Back Home" by Beny Turner, "Master Key" by Harold Burrage, "If I Could Live My Life All Over" by Dorothy Prince, "You Told A Lie" by Johnny Sayles, "New Girl" by The Accents, and "Don't You Worry" by Joe & Mack. CD

A great collection of early South African jazz and other grooves! Featuers work by Four Yanks, Skylarks, Kippie Moeketsi, Spokes Mashiyane, Jazz Dazzlers, Royal Players, and others! CD

Don Cherry really breaks out here on his classic Mu sessions from France – using the new freedoms of post-68 Paris to explore themes at a level that would set the tone for generations to come! The album's very spare, and very improvised – with Cherry on pocket trumpet, piano, and wooden flute – plus a bit of percussion too – alongside drummer Ed Blackwell, who's equally unbridled – showing a huge evolution since the time both he and Don spent in the group of Ornette Coleman! There's a few echoes of the global elements that Cherry would later embrace more strongly in the 70s – but the core energy here is mostly improvised jazz, handled at a level that really makes a lot better use of the freedom than some of Don's contemporaries. Titles include "Total Vibration", "Sun Of The East", "Brilliant Action", "Terrestrial Beings", "Bamboo Night", "The Mysticism Of My Sound", "Psycho Drama", "Smiling Faces Going Places", "Teo Teo Can", and "Dollar Brand/Spontaneous Composing/Exert Man On The Moon". CD

Includes the songs "Sittin' In", "Sittin' In No. 2", "Stardust", "Body And Soul", "Forty Six West Fifty Two", "Forty Six West Fifty Two No. 2", "The Gasser", "Jump Through The Window", "Minor Jive", "Stardust", "Don't Be That Way", "I Want To Be Happy", "Fiesta In Brass (Alt. Take)", "Fiesta In Brass", "St. Louis Blues (Alt. Take)", "St. Louis Blues", "I Can't Get Started", "After You've Gone", "Body And Soul", "Fish Market", and "Twilight Time". CD

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Titles include "Peggy's Blue Skylight", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress", "Meditation", and "Sophisticated Lady". With Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Clifford Jordan, and Jaki Byard! CD

A set that features 15 tracks from Wayne Shorter's early years recording for Vee Jay Records! Some of the work is from the Introducing Wayne Shorter album – the birth of a genius! From the vantage point of the 21st century,Wayne Shorter hardly needs any introduction – but when he recorded this debut album in the late 50s, Shorter was just the new kid on the block – making a few important waves as the tenor star in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The album wisely works off that fame, and pairs Shorter with co-Messenger Lee Morgan – in front line on the trumpet – but it's also got a slightly different groove too, thanks to a rhythm team that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. The Kelly trio approach makes for a nice change from the Blakey mode – and Shorter more than follows suit by blowing some wonderfully well-crafted solos, and working in a more introspective soul mode – really pointing the way towards his later genius as a leader on Blue Note. Shorter also emerges as a heck of a great writer too – contributing 5 great original tracks to the set, titles that include "Blues A La Carte", "Harry's Last Stand", "Black Diamond", "Pug Nose", and "Down in The Depths". The set also features material from the album Wayning Moments – a great early set which features playing by Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Higgins, and Jymie Merritt – is filled with haunting original compositions ("Devil's Island", "Dead End", "Powder Keg") and the kind of mature playing that you'd hardly expect from a little tike like Shorter (who, with Lee Morgan, was just a kid when the two of them were playing with Art Blakey). CD

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The story of one of the most legendary soul clubs in the UK – home to the great wave of Northern Soul enthusiasm that burst big in the 60s – plus a fair bit of hanky panky as well! This collection shows a decidedly raw side of the club's roots – American soul from the 60s, plus a fair bit of R&B as well – a groove that's rougher than you might find on other Northern Soul collections – which often tend towards some of the tighter Detroit productions of the period. The CD features a whopping 28 tracks in all – with lots of tracks from Chicago and the Motor City – and titles include "Road Runner" by Bo Diddley, "Good Times" by Gene Chandler, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Do The 45" by The Sharpees, "Get Down With It" by Bobby Marchan, "I Spy For The FBI" by Jamo Thomas, "And Get Away" by The Esquires, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, "Searchin" by Alvin Robinson, and "You Shot Me Through The Grease" by Alvin Cash. CD