A strange bit of country soul – but a great one, and unique gem from Don Crawford! Another Shade Of Black was recorded by Don Crawford in New York, with bit of a crossover folksy feel that's more like work you'd hear from Muscle Shoals, but it's in a slightly more experimental mode. The album's got Crawford on vocals and acoustic guitar, and instrumentation includes a string quartet, banjo, dulcimer, and a bit of organ. Titles include "Keep Yourself Together", "Song For Sister Angela", "For All The Ladies", "If It Feels Good – Do It", and "Goofin Away The Day". CD

Sweet soulful jazz from reedman Hank Crawford – one of his killer Kudu sessions from the 70s – all of which really helped Hank redefine his sound! The setting here is large and full – put together beautifully by Bob James, with that sense of space for the soloist that makes his CTI/Kudu arrangements so crucial – and light years ahead of what other arrangers were doing at the time. The tracks are longish, but never overdone – and the record has all the soulful alto sounds of Crawford's 60s work at Atlantic, but with a definite 70s bent overall. James plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – and other players include Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums, and Richard Tee on additional keyboards. Titles include "Jana", "Sho Is Funky", "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Groove Junction", and "All In Love Is Fair". CD

A really well-done collection of work by Randy Crawford – one that not only gets at that unique place she holds in soul music, but also one that shows just how much she kept growing as the years went on! Randy's voice was maybe first exposed to folks for her famous work on The Crusaders' "Street Life" – but even before that, she was emerging as one of the elite in a new generation of sophisticated soul singers – equally well-skilled in jazzy expressions and soulful styles, and able to bring a new level of maturity to the music from the late 70s onwards! This great package traces Randy's growth as a solo artist over the course of many albums for Warner Brothers – and also includes some duets, live material, and compilation cuts – really getting at the importance she held in the field at the time. There's a whopping 57 tracks on 3CDs, complete with a big booklet of notes – and titles include "Don't Wanna Be Normal", "Blue Flame", "I Stand Accused", "Same Old Story", "Tender Falls The Rain", "Gonna Give Lovin A Try", "Ain't No Foolin", "Everything Must Change (live)", "Street Life (edit)", "When Your Life Was Low", "One Day I'll Fly Away", "Time For Love", "Your Precious Love (live with Al Jarreau)", "Windsong", "We Had A Love So Strong", "Imagine (live with Yellowjackets)", "All It Takes Is Love", "Single Woman Married Man", "Last Night At Danceland", "Just A Touch", "He Reminds Me", "Knockin On Heaven's Door", "Almaz", "I Let You Walk Away", "Bottom Line", "Cigarette In The Rain", and lots more! CD

The sublime first album from Randy Crawford – a set that's got a very strong jazzy vibe throughout – and which really shows the great place from which Randy started! There's a careful and classy mix of jazz, soul, and modern R&B throughout – never overdone, but often filled out with just the right sort of larger charts to match that incredible range of Crawford – that singing style that few other artists could match! Arrangements are by William Eaton and Larry Carlton – both with lots of jazzy undercurrents – and titles include a killer live version of "Everything Must Change", plus the tracks "I Had To See You One More Time", "I've Never Been To Me", "I Let You Walk Away", "Something So Right", and "Don't Let Me Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Early CTI/Kudu material from alto legend Hank Crawford – part of a strong 70s run that helped him find a whole new audience for his soulful sound! Crawford got his start with Ray Charles, and cut some classic albums for Atlantic in the 60s – but during the 70s, his sound really warmed up a lot with the right electric touches – providing a flow in the backdrops while Hank too off on tight, well-blown solos – almost the alto sax equivalent to what the tenor of Stanley Turrentine was crafting at the time. Arrangements here are by Don Sebesky and Bob James – sometimes a bit funky, sometimes laidback – and other musicians include James on Rhodes and George Benson on guitar. Titles include a great funky take on "Alone Again Naturally" – plus "We Got A Good Thing Going", "I Don't Know", "A Little Tear", and "Down To Earth". CD

James Brown plays organ on this one – an early effort to showcase various other artists that he was producing at the time, and who traveled with him on the road – all those great singers that The Godfather would give time to on his stage – the sorts of artists who would later get more exposure on record once James launched the People Records label! Arrangementsd are by James Brown and Nat Jones – and titles include "Strung Out" and "Stop And Think It Over" by James Crawford, "This Is My Story" by the Jewels, "Satisfaction" and "The Dog" by Baby Lloyd, and "Nowhere To Run" and "Don't Mess With Bill" by Vicki Anderson. LP, Vinyl record album

Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a songwriter too – and although his roots are in jazz, he's got a rare ability to step between genres with plenty of soul – a special space that belongs to a very rare few – like Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, or Gil Scott-Heron! Gregory's voice is amazing, his lyrics are both personal and pointed – and he does so much here with so little, the album should be handed out to the hundreds of mis-directed vocalists who think that a few extra tweaks in the studio is all they really need. Most numbers just feature small combo backing, with wonderfully warm piano from Chip Crawford – and the whole thing's got a timeless feel that makes us think this is the beginning of a rich new season for Porter. Titles include "Free", "Water Under Bridges", "Lonesome Lover", "Liquid Spirit", "No Love Dying", "Brown Grass", "When Love Was King", and "Wind Song". This great 3LP deluxe version features special guest bonus tracks on the fifth side – Water Under The Bridge" with Laura Mvula, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" with Jamie Cullum and "Grandma's Hands" with Ben L'Oncle Soul – plus Rainer & Grimm, Claptone, 20syl, St Germain and Knuckle G remixes on the sixth side! LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Jimmy Scott – sides recorded for Milestone Records near the end of his life – at a time when Jimmy's music was finally getting its due, and reaching wide exposure to a whole new audience! The sound is pretty laidback and mellow on most numbers – and Scott gets some great accompaniment from a host of musicians who include Eric Alexander on tenor, Hank Crawford on alto, Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, and Joe Beck on guitar – on titles that include "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Smile", "Moonglow", "Without A Song", "Please Send Me Someone To Love", and "Strange Fruit". CD

A very cool criss-crossing of classic and contemporary jazz cuts – all put together by the same folks who've given us the excellent Jazz Room reissue label in recent years! The vibe here is expanded past the 70s and 80s material reissued by that label – and the right use of more recent cuts really does a lot to open up the music – expanding the palette in really wonderful ways, while still holding onto plenty of the classic jazz dance modes that first started taking over the UK clubs in the early years of Gilles Peterson and some of his contemporaries! Titles include "Niger Mambo" by Chieck Tidiane Seck, "African Flutes" by Clare Fischer, "Water No Get Enemy" by Daniel Crawford, "Sounds" by Eternal Buzz Brass Band, "Don't You Want Me" by Fast 3, "Golden Brown" by Take Vibe, "The Hipster" by Florian Pellissier, "Black & Decker" by Raul Monsalve Y Los Forajidos, "Jazz Carnival" by Cruisic, and "Rebel No 27 (7" edit)" by Chip Wickham. LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a "cellarful" of Motown – a wealth of great tracks, all of which are previously unreleased! This incredible 2CD set is a landmark in the history of both Motown and Northern Soul – as it brings together 40 tracks that were recorded in the glory days of the Detroit scene, but never issued at the time. A number of cuts on the set have risen to fame over the years as bootlegs floating around the UK club scene, and they're issued properly here for the first time ever, along side other lost gems that will soon become new classics to a generation of soul fans – all wrapped up in one great package filled with notes on the music, and listing the origins of the tunes! Titles include "My Sugar Baby" by Frank Wilson, "Baby A Go Go" by Barbara McNair, "How Can I" by Brenda Holloway, "He Was Really Sayin Somethin" by Earl Van Dyke, "Until You Came Along" by Carolyn Crawford, "Before It's Over" by Sammy Ward, "Long Gone Lover" by Velvelettes, "If You Ever Get Your Hands On Me" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Lucky Lucky Me" by Jimmy Ruffin, "I Wish I Liked You" by Marvin Gaye, "You Made Me Feel Like" by Syreeta, "Don't Let Me Down" by Kim Weston, "Don't Put Off Till Tomorrow What You Can Do Today" by The Monitors, and "It Must Be Love Baby" by Chuck Jackson & Yvonne Fair. Lots lots more, and filled with wonderful tunes! CD

A massive third helping of rare Motown soul – filled with just as many obscure moments and unreleased gems as the previous two volumes! Even if you're a Motown completist enough to buy those giant Complete Singles volumes, you'll still find plenty here to love – because this UK-only series really digs deep into the Motown vaults, and proves that there's a tremendous amount of great music that never saw the light of day back in the 60s! The overall style is strongly in the Northern Soul mode – no surprise, given the British origin of the set – but even with that tight focus, the range of music here is really wonderful, and includes a great amount of work by lesser stars in the Motown galaxy. All tracks are presented with full notes on the original recording date – and the 2CD package features a whopping 43 tracks that include "You're Walking Out With My Heart" by Brenda Holloway, "This Love Will Never Die" by The Miracles, "At The Go Go" by Stevie Wonder, "I'm In Love Again" by Shorty Long, "Easier Said Than Done" by Dennis Edwards, "Never Give You Up" by Blinky & Edwin Starr, "A Chance With You" by Marvin Gaye, "Watch Your Step" by Mike Varo, "Come Back My Love" by The Temptations, "Too Young Too Long" by Carolyn Crawford, "SOS Girl In Distress" by Marv Johnson, "Thief Of Love" by Oma Page, "Loving You" by Fantastic Four, "Just Too Much" by The Monitors, "Little Girls Grow Up" by The Marvelettes, "Don't Stop Loving Me" by Ivy Jo, "Soldier Of Love" by The Four Tops, "I'm Here Now That You Need Me" by JJ Barnes, "Beware Of A Stranger" by Rita Wright, "Cindy" by Bobby Taylor, and "Too Late I Learned" by The Spinners. CD

Aretha's tour of the south continues – recording here at Atlantic's new home in Miami, with studio work from The Dixie Flyers, Dave Crawford, Roger Hawkins, Duane Allman, and Eddie Hinton – all very much in the tradition of the Muscle Shoals work that supported Aretha on earlier recordings. Aretha's playing piano on all tracks – and titles include her remake of "Don't Play That Song", plus "You & Me", "Pullin", "Spirit In The Dark", "Try Matty's", "Oh No Not My Baby", and "One Way Ticket". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great little set that has the Chicago tenor of Eddie Harris linking up with the growing Miami soul scene of the early 70s – as Eddie "comes on down" to the Sunshine State, and records for Atlantic at the legendary Criteria Studios! Eddie's still got the electric Varitone groove of his late 60s sides for the label – but he's also stepping out here in a dirtier, funkier bottom sort of sound – aided by a combo that includes southern soulsters Billy Carter on organ, Donald Duck Dunn on bass, and Dave Crawford on piano – plus Jimmy O'Rourke and Cornelle Dupree playing guitars side by side, in a jamming way that really makes the album groove! There's still some nice spacier moments that remind us of Eddie's Chicago recordings, sitting nicely next to the funkier cuts that make the album stand out. Titles include "Fooltish", "Why Don't You Quit", "Don't You Know Your Future's In Space", and "Live Right Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Soulful alto work from Charles Williams – a player who sounds a bit like Hank Crawford here, but a fair bit funkier! The format is loose and open, very much in the best soul jazz style used by the Mainstream label at the time – and Williams alto is set up alongside tenor from David Bubba Brooks, drums from Bill Curtis, bass from Gordon Edwards, guitar from Earl Dunbar, and organ from a young Don Pullen – sounding earthier here than on most of his later recordings! There's almost a Prestige Records feel to the album – a style of soul jazz that hearkens back to an earlier 60s mode, and which has the players rolling out nicely in very relaxed space together. Titles include the nice groover "Bacon Butt Fat", plus "Country Mile", "Catfish Samich", and "You Got Me Running". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of music – 66 tracks that show the huge influence of Cuban rhythms in American music during the mid-century years – presented here in a wider range of styles than you might expect! This isn't just Latin music, made by Cuban cats hitting the New York scene – and instead, these are tracks that show the very deep penetration of sounds from Havana – at a level that has the rhythms emerging in soul, hardbop, R&B, and even more standard blues material! The CD divides the music up into three different CDs, each with a different theme – one that looks at rumba in jazz music, another the influence of the mambo, and the third the range of slower Cuban rhythms well into the 60s. Titles include "Dem Tambourines" by Don Wilkerson, "Cuba Doll" by Lloyd Glenn, "Summertime" by Red Saunders, "Soony Roony" by Slim Gaillard, "De Laff's On You" by Louis Jordan, "Conga Brava" by Duke Ellington, "I Come From America" by Chris Powell, "Jock A Mo" by Sugar Boy Crawford, "Woke Up This Morning" by BB King, "Fool Burro" by Mabel Scott, "Cu-Blue" by Billy Taylor, "Arabian Love Call" by Art Neville, "Out Of Nowhere" by Cal Tjader, "I've Waited So Long" by Eddie Cochran, "She Wants To Mambo" by The Chanters, "Mambo Hop" by Oscar Saldana, and "Mambocito Mio" by Illinois Jacquet. CD

Contemporary soul, but with a very classic vibe – material pulled together by the P-Vine label from Japan, with a vibe that partly echoes some of the warmer styles of the city soul generation from years back! We've always dug compilations of this nature, but these days so much music gets just a digital release, it's even more important than ever to trust our ears to a well-done compilation like this – one that mixes together some recent favorites with neo soul tracks that are a very fresh discovery to our ears! There's a few older tracks in the lineup too – and titles include "April" by Spangle Call Lilli Line, "A Merry Feeling" by 9m88, "Gonna Love You Right" by The Mighty Soulmates, "Fast Food" by Fieh, "Farewell" by Covert, "Tender Love" by Meshell Ndegeocello, "Call You Right Now" by Jwestern, "With The Music" by Matt Johnson, "Valencia" by Emm Gryner, "Hard Enough" by Zachary Crawford, "Let's Stay Out" by Halfby with Ginger Root, "Broken" by Robohands, and "Don't Let Me Get Away" by Nate Smith with Stokley. CD

Music from Harry Head, Tony Penn, Don Crawford, Buddy Miller (2), Dave Hill, Larry Lee And The Leesures, Nick Terry And The Toy Terriers, Ronnie Price And The Velvets, Big C, Jerry And The Del-Fi's, Jerry Hawkins (2), and more - 28 tracks in all. CD

An incredible collection of southern soul – and actually way more than the usual CD compilation, and almost instead a time machine back to the glory days of the genre! The set comes in a heavy slipcase, with a huge booklet of notes – not just track-by-track stories on all the 75 songs in the package, but also beautiful vintage images of the southern scene from which these deep soul tracks come – great photographs that are a great accompaniment to the often-narrative tracks in the set. The music is a mix of tracks from southern soul giants, and some key lesser-known acts – and as you'd expect from Kent, the whole thing goes way past the hits – and features plenty of obscure numbers too. Titles include "A Sad Sad Song" by Charles Crawford, "Mary Jane" by Bobby Rush, "If Loving You Is A Crime" by Lee Moses, "Go On Fool (ext)" by Marion Black, "Someone To Take Your Place" by Bill Locke, "I Got Everything I Need" by Eddie Floyd, "I've Got Memories (demo)" by Melvin Carter, "Give Me Back The Man I Love" by Barbara West, "Somebody Done Gone Took My Baby & Gone" by Joey Gilmore, "Depend On Me" by Steve Dixon, "Going Back Home" by Ground Hog, "Just A Touch Of Your Hand" by Al Gardner, "Sure As Sin" by Jeanie Greene, and "Please Don't Desert Me Baby" by Gloria Walker & The Chevelles. CD

One of our favorite albums ever from The Crusaders – a set that really sums up all the tightness they'd forged in the 70s, while still showing a new sense of soul and funk as well – expertly balanced with flawless LA production! The album may well be the group's equivalent of a Steely Dan album – no surprise, given the work they'd done on sessions for that group – and the title cut is the massive extended version of "Street Life", with killer vocals from Randy Crawford – and other titles include "My Lady", "Night Faces", "The Hustler", and "Rodeo Drive". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of 70s crossover deep soul – recorded in the mode of similar work by Betty Wright or Laura Lee, and done with a similar mix of raw southern vocals and tighter production! About half the work was handled by the team of Dave Crawford and Brad Shapiro – working in the Criteria Studios in Miami to give Jackie a sound that's similar to Shapiro's work with Millie Jackson. The other half was produced in Philly, by the Young Professionals team of LeBaron Taylor, Tony Bell, and Phil Hurt – who give Jackie a warm, gliding, sweet 70s Philly groove! And although you might think that this Philly/Miami split would make for a mixed bag of tunes, the album's surprisingly unified – and in a way, does plenty to link together the growing dancefloor scenes in both cities. Titles include "Willpower", "Both Ends Against The Middle", "Time", "Something In A Look", "Clean Up Your Own Yard", "If", and "Darling Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare one for Sonny Stitt – an album for Pacific Jazz recorded on the west coast, but done with some hard-burning organ work by Charles Kynard that easily matches any of Stitt's best soul jazz sides from the east! There's a tightly cooking feel to the entire set that's really great – a style that's slightly different than Sonny's work for Argo or Prestige, but which is equally great – thanks to fluid lines on Hammond from Kynard, and some great guitar from the under-rated Ray Crawford. The group's completed by Doug Sides on drums – and titles include "Blue Skies", "Sitt In Time", "Summer Special", "My Mother's Eyes", and "SOP Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most full-on funk albums that Bohannon recorded for Mercury – a set done with a sextet of additional players, in a groove that's much more in the ensemble mode of other funk acts on the label! The usual Bohannon drive is still in full effect, though – and Hamilton's rhythms are as compelling as ever, served up with his usual percussive undercurrent, and plenty of extra work on bass, guitar, and keyboards. Carolyn Crawford sings ovcals on most numbers, and titles include "Groove Machine", "The Boogie Train", "Andrea", "The Time Is Now", "Love Floats", and a remake of "Stop & Go". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums by Victor Assis Brasil – a brilliant sax player who was one of Brazil's greatest jazz talents in the 70s! On this set, Victor really tightens things up from some of his spacier post-Coltrane albums of earlier years – crackling with a firey approach to the material, and hitting some great grooves on alto sax with a sharpness that we'd expect from American players like Lou Donaldson or Hank Crawford! Backing is a quartet with piano, vibes, bass, and drums – and the album includes the stellar triple tempo version of "Night and Day" that's forever made Victor a favorite with the jazz dance scene – plus the cuts "Nada Sera Como Antes", "Penedo", "O Cantador", and "Pedrinho". LP, Vinyl record album

Gentle magic from singer Jimmy Scott – one of our favorite of his comeback recordings of recent years! The album features tracks that Jimmy Recorded over sessions done in 2000 and 2001 – working with a host of great jazz players like Eric Alexander, Joe Beck, Hank Crawford, David Newman, Grady Tate, and Cyrus Chestnut – all of whom bring a warm and mellow feel to the set, allowing Jimmy some good space to breeze around in understated brilliance. Titles include "Yesterday", "Those Who Were", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Time On My Hands", and "If I Should Lose You". CD

A great entry in this really wonderful series – one that's shifted a lot over the years, and in the best way possible! "Classiest" may be a tough word to peg down – but here, it refers to tracks that are well-done, and completely put-together – yet which have the kind of groove you'd expect from vintage Northern Soul of the 60s! There's a Motown influence felt throughout, but many tunes are nicely varied – a spectrum of acts from different US scenes, and a mix of arranging styles that match the well-penned songs – all handled in the usual Ace/Kent tradition, which means you'll find lots of rare singles, some unissued tracks, and great sound and notes throughout. Titles include "I Need Your Love" by Brothers Of Soul, "Girl Come On Home" by Major Lance, "I've Got To Come In" by Jean Battle, "So Glad" by The Lyrics, "Ready Or Not Here I Come" by Carolyn Crawford, "The Intruder" by Melvin Hicks & The Versatiles, "She's Supreme" by The Lovers, "I Wish I Knew" by Joe Buckner & Major IV, "I'll Fly To Your Open Arms" by The Family Brick, "Soul Kind Of Love" by The Hesitations, and "I Need A True Love" by Ray Gant & The Arabian Knights. CD

One of the coolest soundtracks ever for a Burt Reynolds film – an a hip mix of soul and jazz tracks that's gone onto become a classic over the years! The album's a compilation of sorts, but most of the material was recorded fresh for the film – and the different artists really work together here to forge some great backdrops for the action on the screen! Al Capps handled the larger charts, but most numbers really spotlight an individual artist – and highlights include Randy Crawford singing a new version of "Street Life" – different than the one with The Crusaders – Sarah Vaughan singing "Love Theme From Sharky's Machine", Peggy Lee vocals on "Let's Keep Dancing", and Julie London singing "My Funny Valentine" – as one of the first recordings after many years of retirement. Other great numbers include "Dope Bust" by Flora Purim & Buddy DeFranco, "Sharky's Theme" by Eddie Harris, "Before You" by Sarah Vaughan & Joe Williams, "8 To 5 I Lose" by Joe Williams, and the instrumental cuts "Sexercise" and "High Energy" by Doc Severinsen. LP, Vinyl record album

Lost funky work from Jimmy Smith – issued on his own small Mojo Records label, which he formed after leaving Verve in the early 70s. The album features 4 long tracks – played by by Jimmy in a hip small combo with Larry Gales on bass, Ray Crawford on guitar, Donald Dean on drums, and Buck Clarke on percussion. The standout cut is the loping groover "Can't Get Enough" – a spare but full-sounding number that has Jimmy hitting that perfect "Root Down" organ mode! Other tracks include a slow funky version of "Killing Me Softly", the jazzy stepper "Paid In Full", and the kicked-back "Bro Pugh". LP, Vinyl record album

How old was Foster Sylvers when he cut this record? Seven? Eight? Whatever the case, the little tyke forever changed the face of funky music with the incredible cut "Misdemeanor" – one of those chunky funky numbers that sounds like nothing else we've ever heard, and which has been in demand on the groove scene for years and years. The cut's simply amazing, and it kicks off a record that's pretty darn tasty all-around. Young Foster's singing in kind of a Jackson Five mode – but he's got some great arrangements by Jerry Peters, David Crawford, and King Errison that keep things pretty funky on many tracks, and nice and soulful on the rest. A good portion of the numbers are covers, but even those are done nicely. Titles include the classic "Misdemeanor", plus "I'm Your Puppet", "Hey Little Girl", "Mockingbird", "I'll Get You In The End", "Swooperman", "More Love", "Happy Face", "Lullabye/Uncle Albert", and "Only My Love Is True". CD

One of the hippest Jimmy Smith albums of the early 70s – a lean and mean, down and dirty, back to basics session for Verve – one that's got plenty of grit in the grooves! L:ike the Root Down album, this set is recorded live with a very stretched out feel – tracks that take Jimmy Smith back to the more open-ended styles of his roots, and get past some of the slicker notes of later years. There's not as much heavy funk as on Root Down, but the sound is still equally great – with plenty of sharp edges on the instrumentation, which includes Jimmy's Hammond alongside bass from Leroy Vinnegar, tenor from Teddy Edwards, guitar from Ray Crawford, drums from Donald Dean, and congas from Victor Pantoja. One title – "Blues For 3 + 1" – hits a great little groove that's almost bossa-funky – and other tracks include "Absolutely Funky", "Lolita", "Bluesmith", and "Mournin Wes". CD