A really great genre-hopping Christmas collection – one that features jazzy tunes, vocal numbers, and a few rock and country tracks as well – all of which really live up to the vintage spirit of the image on the cover! The set follows nicely in the style of the similarly-titled predecessor – and features an array of 29 postwar tracks that come from that moment when the marketing of Holiday spirit was a very big part of the music business! There's plenty of familiar tunes here, done in unusual versions – and some more obscure Christmas cuts that definitely make the set worthwhile – on titles that include "Mrs Santa Claus" by Nat King Cole, "Peace On Earth" by Peggy Lee, "Hello Mr New Year" by The Coolbreezers, "Merry Christmas To You All" by Elton Britt, "Christmas Candy" by Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely, "It's A Marshmallow World" by Vic Damone, "Snowbound For Christmas" by The DeCastro Sisters, "Be A Santa" by McGuire Sisters, "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter" by Gene Autry, "Sleigh Ride" by Johnny Desmond, "Here Comes Santa Claus" by Sammy Kaye with Don Cornell, "Christmas Is A Feeling In Your Heart" by Andy Williams, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by 101 Strings, "Jingle Bell Rock" by Eddy Arnold, and "Snowy White Snow & Jingle Bells" by Vaughn Monroe. CD

2 albums recorded by Esther in the years before she broke into big fame on the Kudu label. Burnin is a stunning live set that marked Esther's move from being a loud young R&B singer into an older, more mature interpreter of material in a more jazzy style. She's backed here by a good group that includes Jack Wilson on piano, Richard Tee on organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – and she moves through a heartbreaking set of material that heralds her later 70's recordings for Kudu. Tracks include "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", "And I Love Him", "Shangri-La", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". Confessin points back at Esther's earlier career in R&B, but has a nice jazzy finish – thanks to players like Sonny Criss, Teddy Edwards, and Herb Ellis – and the record also features a few more sides from the Burnin sessions at Freddie Jett's Nightclub in LA. Titles include "Romance In The Dark", "I Wonder", "I'm Getting Long Alright", "In The Evenin", and "I Love Paris". Due to time limit restrictions, the CD excludes the cuts "I'm Getting Long Alright" and "It Could Happen To You" from the LPs. CD

A buttery smooth set of Japanese fusion from the 70s – featuring all-star American players like Eric Gale, Steve Gadd, Ralph MacDonald, Cornell Dupree, Michael Brecker, and keyboardist Will Boulware. The strength of the set lies on the interplay between Boulware's work on Fender Rhodes and Arp, and Michael Brecker's tightly crafted tenor lines that nicely dot the album's lively soulful tunes – and the whole thing sparkles with the same mix of R&B and jazz that you'd expect from late 70s work by The Crusaders. Titles include "Hossan", "So True", "It Ain't No Use", "I Like It", and a smooth soulful cover of "Feel Like Makin Love". CD

Music from Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, The John Barry Orchestra, Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney & Wings, Lulu, Carly Simon, Shirley Bassey, Sheena Easton, Rita Coolidge, Duran Duran, a-ha, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow, Garbage, Madonna, Chris Cornell, and much more. CD

A bit hit for Stanley Turrentine – and a pretty darn nice record of extended groovers, with a harder sound than you might expect from the tongue-licking cover, and a title of Sugar! The record's only got three cuts – one of them Stanley's famous version of "Sugar", the other two pretty nice ones ("Sunshine Alley" and "Impressions") – all done in a mode that sounds a lot more like harder Prestige sessions from the same time – that great period when the label was stretching out with some electric piano jazz funk. Butch Cornell's on organ, and his work on the album's part of its success, as is the nice hard drumming of Billy Kaye, who actually hits an Idris Muhammad-ish groove at parts! Titles include "Sugar", "Sunshine Alley", and "Impressions". Also features the track "Gibraltar", and a live version of "Sugar". CD

The roots of British mod, served up here in a fantastic package that's overflowing with soulful, jazzy, and groovy gems that we might never have heard otherwise! The big British Invasion love of American sounds is no secret to anyone – but the cuts here are all from a moment before on the London scene, and represent some really wonderful experiments in ways of mixing together elements of jazz, soul, and blues – and coming up with something really fresh and unique! Tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal modes – and as usual with Ace, they're supported by detailed notes that really open up our understanding of both the music, and this point in time. Titles include "Danger Man" by Red Price Combo, "A New Kind Of Lovin" by Eden Kane, "Christine" by Miss X, "Sugar Baby (parts 1 & 2)" by Jimmy Powell, "When You Walked Out" by Alex Murray, "Chicago Calling" by Cyril Davies & His Rhythm & Blues All Stars, "King Of Kings" by Jimmy Cliff, "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Duffy Power, "Gurney Slade" by Max Harris, "Moanin" by Lynn Cornell, "I'm Just A Baby" by Louis Cordet, "Orange Street" by The Blue Flames, "Strawberry Fair" by Anthony Newley, "Sounds Like Locomotion" by Sounds Inc, and "Air Travel" by Chris Farlowe. CD

50 Trojan master cuts on 3 CDs – all original, unfettered with deep reggae masters! Many of these 60s & 70s cuts went on to be pop hits in later covers by Blondie, UB40, Selector, Shaggy, and many others, but these reggae, rocksteady, and ska originals are as the title informs, the real deal by the cream of the Trojan roster! 50 cuts on three CDs, including "Cherry Oh, Baby" by Eric Donaldson, "Many Rivers To Cross" by Jimmy Cliff, "I Will Never Let You"by Cornell Campbell, "Wear You To The Ball" by U-Roy, "Mr. Fix It" by Max Romeo, "Sweet Sensation" by the Melodians, "Johnny Too Bad" by the Slickers, "Groovin' Out On Life" by Ken Parker, "Soul Rebel" by Bob Marley & The Wailers, "My Best Girl" & "The Tide Is High" by the Paragons, "Blood & Fire" by Niney the Observer, "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah", "Time Hard" & "Long Shot Kick De Bucket" by The Pioneers, "Red Red Wine" by Tony Tribe, "Crying Over You" & "Everything I Own " by Ken Boothe, "Love Of The Common People" by Nicky Thomas, "Rudy A Message To You" by Dandy Livingstone, "Monkey Man" by the Maytals and tons more! CD

The roots of British mod, served up here in a fantastic package that's overflowing with soulful, jazzy, and groovy gems that we might never have heard otherwise! The big British Invasion love of American sounds is no secret to anyone – but the cuts here are all from a moment before on the London scene, and represent some really wonderful experiments in ways of mixing together elements of jazz, soul, and blues – and coming up with something really fresh and unique! Tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal modes – and as usual with Ace, they're supported by detailed notes that really open up our understanding of both the music, and this point in time. Titles include "Danger Man" by Red Price Combo, "A New Kind Of Lovin" by Eden Kane, "Christine" by Miss X, "Sugar Baby (parts 1 & 2)" by Jimmy Powell, "When You Walked Out" by Alex Murray, "Chicago Calling" by Cyril Davies & His Rhythm & Blues All Stars, "King Of Kings" by Jimmy Cliff, "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Duffy Power, "Gurney Slade" by Max Harris, "Moanin" by Lynn Cornell, "I'm Just A Baby" by Louis Cordet, "Orange Street" by The Blue Flames, "Strawberry Fair" by Anthony Newley, "Sounds Like Locomotion" by Sounds Inc, and "Air Travel" by Chris Farlowe. CD

A rare Japanese-only session – one that has vocalist Salena Jones joining the fusion supergroup Stuff – in a set that's easily one of the most soulful outings from both artists involved! Although Jones mostly worked overseas, she's got a slinky style here that really fits the groove of the American group – a slow-stepping approach that wraps nicely around keyboards from Richard Tee, and twin guitars from Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree. Steve Gadd's drums keep a nice undercurrent of funk, even when things are mellow – and Tee's arrangements are tight, but never slick or overdone. Titles include "Loving Arms", "My Love", "Everyday", "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", and "Lately". CD

A sweet bit of funky jazz vocals from Oscar Brown Jr – recorded during his early 70s stay at Atlantic Records, in a style that's very different than his early work! The tracks are all still original numbers by Oscar – penned with that clever bad-rapping approach to the lyrics that always earned him a huge audience in the cognoscenti. The feel is a bit more electric than before, with Richard Tee on electric piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and percussion by Ralph MacDonald. A few cuts have female backing vocals, and titles include "Gang Bang", "Feel the Fire", "Dime Away from a Hot Dog", and "Young Man". CD