Music from The Animals, The Cookies, Danny Williams, Kenny Karen, Penny Carter, Neil Sedaka, Gene Pitney, Pat Powdrill, Vic Dana, Kenny Chandler, and more - 31 songs in all. CD

Danny Turner and Manny Boyd on alto saxophone and flute, John Williams on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Bill Hughes on bass trombone, Charlton Johnson on guitar, George Caldwell on piano, Doug Miller and Kenny Hing on tenor saxophone and flute, Clarence Banks, Robert Trowers, and Mel Wanzo on trombone, Bob Ojeda, Derrick Gardner, Melton Mustafa, and Mike Williams on trumpet, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and David Gibson on drums. CD

A very cool Sun Ra performance from 1980 – recorded in Rome, and a wonderful summation of all the new directions the Arkestra took during the 70s! There's a wonderful balance here between intimate vocal tracks, sung by June Tyson, and some fuller ensemble numbers – mixed up in ways that often show the most soulful side of the group, yet still allow plenty of space for bold, dynamic solos from players who include Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Michael Ray on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone and flute, Kenny Williams on tenor and baritone, and Noel Scott on alto and baritone. The double-length set also has some beautiful instrumental moments that are quite gentle – a few exotic touches, and nice piano improvisations from Ra – very much like his excellent solo piano work on Improvising Artists. Titles include "Enlightenment", "Watusa", "Lights On A Satellite", "Nothing Is", "Children Of The Sun", "King Porter Stomp", "Sun Ra & His Band From Outer Space", "Springtime Again", "Big John's Special", "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise", and a few untitled pieces. CD

A very cool Sun Ra performance from 1980 – recorded in Rome, and a wonderful summation of all the new directions the Arkestra took during the 70s! There's a wonderful balance here between intimate vocal tracks, sung by June Tyson, and some fuller ensemble numbers – mixed up in ways that often show the most soulful side of the group, yet still allow plenty of space for bold, dynamic solos from players who include Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Michael Ray on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone and flute, Kenny Williams on tenor and baritone, and Noel Scott on alto and baritone. The double-length set also has some beautiful instrumental moments that are quite gentle – a few exotic touches, and nice piano improvisations from Ra – very much like his excellent solo piano work on Improvising Artists. Titles include "Enlightenment", "Watusa", "Lights On A Satellite", "Nothing Is", "Children Of The Sun", "King Porter Stomp", "Sun Ra & His Band From Outer Space", "Springtime Again", "Big John's Special", "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise", and a few untitled pieces. LP, Vinyl record album

With Freddie Green on guitar and shaker, Cleveland Eaton on bass, Gregg Field and Harold Jones on drums. Orchestra includes Willie Cook and Harry Edison on trumpet, Sonny Cohn, Dale Carley, Frank Szabo, and Bob Summers on trumpet and flugelhorn, Mitchell Wood, Dennis Wilson, Grover Mitchell, and Bill Hughes on trombone, Eric Dixon on tenor, Kenny Hing on tenor and flute, Bobby Plater and Danny Turner on alto and flute, and Johnny Williams on baritone. CD

Cannonball Adderley and Earle Warren on alto saxophone, Jerome Richardson on baritone saxophone and flute, Ray Brown and Sam Jones on bass, Ray Brown on cello, Nat Adderley on cornet, Albert Heath, Grady Tate, and Osie Johnson on drums, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Wild Bill Davis on organ, Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Danny Bank, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods, and Robert Ashton on reeds, Budd Johnson and Seldon Powell on tenor saxophone, Yusef Lateef on tenor saxophone and flute, Britt Woodman, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise, Tom McIntosh, Tony Studd, and Urbie Green on trombone, Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, and Snooky Young on trumpet, Milt Jackson on vibraphone, and Marion Williams on vocals. CD

An early treasure from a great tradition in soul music – one of the first few compilations from Ace/Kent Records – issued way back in the early 80s, and still a treasure trove of great 60s soul after all these years! As you'd guess from the title, the tracks here are all upbeat and uptempo – numbers brought together for the Northern Soul audience in the UK, but which also represent a great sampling of underground soul from the US in the 60s! Many of these numbers mix rough-edged vocals with more tightly-crafted instrumentation – and the collection features a total of 16 tracks that include "Lay This Burden Down" by Mary Love, "You Just Cheat & Lie" by ZZ Hill, "Good Taste Of Love" by Danny Monday, "Wanting You" by Jimmy Bee, "Can It Be Me" by Mel Williams, "Hole In The Wall" by The Other Brothers, "Talkin Woman" by Lowell Fulsom, "What Kind Of Man Are You" by Jackie Day, "Country Girl" by The Johnny Otis Show, "Everybody Needs Love" by Willie Gauff & The Love Brothers, and "My Baby Needs Me" by Yvonne Baker. LP, Vinyl record album

A bit more of a high concept album than some of Wynton Marsalis' previous efforts – a set with a few more added horns on side one, and an extended suite on side two! The work definitely shows Wynton's increasing concern with jazz history – his desire to embrace, and sometimes represent, decades of past musical expression in his work – a real Lincoln Center sort of impulse, but one that still comes off relatively well here, and without as much hoke as you'd expect. Side one has Wynton working with regular pianist Marcus Roberts, plus Todd Williams on tenor and soprano sax and Wes Anderson on alto – and side two features a completely different group, much more in an older-styled jazz vein – with Michael White on clarinet, Danny Barker on banjo, Teddy Riley on trumpet, and Freddie Lonzo on trombone. Titles include "The Majesty Of The Blues", "Hickory Dickory Dock", and the expanded "New Orleans Function" suite. CD

A great collection of work from the underside of the Chicago recording scene of the 60s – tracks from the rougher, bluesier west side scene of the time! The work on the set comes from the Federal/King catalog, and not from Chicago labels – and most of it was produced by Sonny Thompson, in a style that's like his own R&B work, which always played big with Chicago crowds during the period. Most of the tunes date from the early 60s, but follow in modes that have lots of rougher 50s touches – often recorded with some nice echoey production that does a really great job of bringing out the looser spirit of the work. Titles include "I Resign From Your Love" and "Well Oh Well" by Syl Johnson, "Gibble Gobble" and "Got A Feelin" by Willie Wright & The Sparklers, "You're Welcome To The Club" and "When You Move You Lose" by Lee Shot Williams, "Twist Like This" and "I Was Gone" by Eddie Clearwater, "How Long Has It Been" by Jesse Anderson, and "I'm Tired Of Being Tossed Around" by Danny Overbea. CD

A bit more of a high concept album than some of Wynton Marsalis' previous efforts – a set with a few more added horns on side one, and an extended suite on side two! The work definitely shows Wynton's increasing concern with jazz history – his desire to embrace, and sometimes represent, decades of past musical expression in his work – a real Lincoln Center sort of impulse, but one that still comes off relatively well here, and without as much hoke as you'd expect. Side one has Wynton working with regular pianist Marcus Roberts, plus Todd Williams on tenor and soprano sax and Wes Anderson on alto – and side two features a completely different group, much more in an older-styled jazz vein – with Michael White on clarinet, Danny Barker on banjo, Teddy Riley on trumpet, and Freddie Lonzo on trombone. Titles include "The Majesty Of The Blues", "Hickory Dickory Dock", and the expanded "New Orleans Function" suite. LP, Vinyl record album