Mindblowing work from Ella Washington – a lesser-known force in southern soul during the late 60s, but a singer whose music really leaves us breathless! Washington's work on this set is impeccable throughout – far beyond the simple southern soul cliches that were coming to be common in the generation of Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner – and instead, very much in her own space – recorded with sophistication and emotion that so many other singers wouldn't tap this well until a few years later. The themes of the tunes are great – heartfelt, but still with an emotional inner strength that really matches Ella's vocals – and titles include "Stop Giving Your Man Away", "Sweeter & Sweeter", "Fragile", "Starving For Love", "He Called Me Baby", "All The Time", and "The Affair". LP, Vinyl record album

Robin McKelle on vocals – accompanied by Kenny Barron on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – plus special guest Kurt Elling on "I Won't Dance". CD

12 songs from Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Shirley Horn and Betty Carter. CD

Features multiple tracks from Sippie Wallace, Julia Lee, Dinah Washington, Alma Mondy, Joyce Jackson, Ella Johnson, Violet Hall, Zilla Mays, Myra Taylor, Vivian Green & Helen Humes – that's 57 songs on two CD's! CD

Features Dinah Washington, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Roy Byrd, Buddy & Ella Johnson, Louis Jordan, and Clyde McPhatter. CD

Music from Joe Williams, Shirley Horn, Anita O'Day, Louis Armstrong, Blossom Dearie, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Helen Merrill, and more. CD

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. Volume 4 is filled with 50 rare tracks – loads of uncommon Atlantic singles, including some from their 50s partners – with cuts that include "Bye Bye Baby" by Ella Washington, "Sleep Good Tonight" by Sam & Dave, "What Am I Gonna Do" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Book Of Memories" by Percy Wiggins, "I've Got That Feelin" by Darrell Banks, "Let's Go Steady" by Arthur Conley, "Let Me Down Slow" by Bobby Wilson, "These Simple Reasons" by The Mad Lads, "Cool Pearl" by The Capitols, "Happiness" by The Ambassadors, "That Man Of Mine" by Jean & The Darlings, "One Plus One" by William Bell, "Left Over Love" by Mable John, "Get Down" by Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds, "All On A Sunny Day" by Deon Jackson, "Sentimental Reasons" by Percy Wiggins, "Feels Good" by Bobby Wilson, "Bigger & Better" by Mable John, "I'll Be Loving You" by Soul Brothers Six, "Greasy Spoon" by Rufus Thomas, "Don't Say Maybe Baby" by The Capitols, "I'm So Proud Of My Baby" by The Ambassadors, "She Knows What To Do For Me" by Ben E King, "I Gotta Have My Baby's Love" by Sir Mack Rice, "Loveitis" by Harvey Scales, "Love Comes & Goes" by Arthur Conley, "The Grass Always Seems Greener" by Ella Washington, and "Behind Every Great Man There's A Woman" by Percy Sledge. CD

Music from Louis Armstrong With Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Horn, Chet Baker, Astrud Gilberto, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Nina Simone, Anita O'Day, Jack Teagarden, Sarah Vaughan, and more. CD

One of Oscar Brown's great ones, recorded live at the Cellar Door in Washington before an enthusiastic crowd of hipsters! The record's a beautiful mix of soul, jazz, and folk – in the same Chicago tradition that spawned Terry Callier (although Brown's style has a bit more of a "show" feel to it). There's a lot of great stuff on here, and most of it doesn't appear on Oscar's other albums in studio versions. Tracks include "Call of the City", "Muffled Drums", "Maxine", "Brother Where Are You?", and more! Backing's by a tight little combo that includes Floyd Morris and Phil Upchurch – and this CD has a very groovy little gatefold package! CD

A long-awaited addition to the Miles Davis electric catalog – and a package that features over 4 hours of newly-discovered music! The 6CD set documents 4 nights of performance by Miles at the Cellar Door in Washington DC – recorded in December of 1970, and featuring a mindblowing group that includes Gary Bartz on soprano and alto sax, Keith Jarrett on Fender Rhodes and organ, Airto on percussion, Michael Henderson on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and a bit of guitar from John McLaughlin on the last 2 CDs. There's a really hard and heavy feel here that's steeped in rock and soul influences – and the package is even more amazing, considering how little work has been offered from this unique point in Davis' career. Presentation of the material is in the same high standards as other Miles Davis boxes on Sony – with a 96 page book with notes and reflections by each band member, and a whopping 6 CDs of music, featuring mostly really long takes on the tunes! Titles include "Directions", "What'd I Say", "Honky Tonk", "Sanctuary", "Improvisation #3", "Inamorata", "It's About That Time", and "Yesternow". CD

One of Oscar Brown's great ones, recorded live at the Cellar Door in Washington before an enthusiastic crowd of hipsters! The record's a beautiful mix of soul, jazz, and folk – in the same Chicago tradition that spawned Terry Callier (although Brown's style has a bit more of a "show" feel to it). There's a lot of great stuff on here, and most of it doesn't appear on Oscar's other albums in studio versions. Tracks include "Call of the City", "Muffled Drums", "Maxine", "Brother Where Are You?", and more! Backing's by a tight little combo that includes Floyd Morris and Phil Upchurch! LP, Vinyl record album

A perfect setting for the rich-voiced tenor of the great George Coleman – presented here as one of the best titles so far in the strongly-revived Live At Smalls series! Smalls is one of those players who's been on countless albums over the years, and turned out plenty of great work – but who also seems to come across with a freshness, a newness in a key live recording like this – much the same way that a player like Johnny Griffin could always show that at the core, jazz can be a spontaneous expression that's sometimes best presented in an unfettered sort of space. The core group is just right for Coleman, and often step back to give him plenty of space – Spike Wilner on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – and titles include "Blues For Smalls", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "At Last", "Four", "Meditation", and "My Funny Valentine". CD

A huge package of work from a time when the Jewel/Paula label was a strong force in underground soul – an imprint whose home base was down in Louisiana, but who also had a reach that went up to the Windy City as well! The material here is on the deeper side of the spectrum – some New Orleans modes mixed with other southern soul styles – often recorded with nicely earthy production that really makes the singers come across at their best! Titles include "I Can't Stand To See You Go" by Joe Valentine, "Messed Around & Fell In Love" by Ricky Allen, "Nothing Takes The Place Of You" by Toussaint McCall, "What Is Love" by Jimmy Dobbins, "Cover Me" by Ted Taylor, I Want Everyone To Know" by Fontella Bass, "My Baby's Gone" by Wallace Brothers, "You've Got Me Tamed" by Clay Hammond, "Loosen These Pains & Let Me Go" by Albert Washington, "We Got A Good Thing Going" by Roscoe Robinson, and "Sweet Little Woman" by McKindley Sandifer. CD

Toshiko Akiyoshi in piano, Frank Wess on alto saxophone and flute, Jim Snidero on alto and soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute and piccolo flute, Lew Tabackin on tenor saxophone and flute, Walt Weiskopf on tenor and soprano saxophone, flute and clarinet, Conrad Herwig, Herb Besson, Joe Magnarelli, and Larry Farrell on trombone, Greg Gisbert, John Eckert, and Mike Ponella on trumpet, Scott Robinson on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Matt Finders on bass trombone, Rich Flores on congas, Peter Washington on double bass, and Terry Clarke on drums. CD

A really great later date from pianist Walter Davis – one that was only issued overseas, and is a lot more obscure than some of his other work of the time! The album features great work from Bob Mover on alto – really bringing a lot to the core trio, which also features great work from ron Carter on bass and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include the originals "Uranus" and "Illumination". CD

An interesting little record from Geraldine DeHaas – a Chicago-based jazz vocalist who's probably best known to Dusty Groove customers as Geraldine Bey, which was her name when she was part of the legendary Andy & The Bey Sisters! This record bears few traces of her earlier work, and is more in kind of a "classy jazzy soul" mode, ala 70s work by Marlena Shaw. The arrangements are by Tom Washington, who did a bunch of Chicago soul work for Brunswick, and Bob Perna. The set list leans heavily to Paul Anka numbers, but Geraldine actually makes them sound pretty decent. Titles include "Keep On Walkin", "Wheels Of Life", "Everything's Been Changed", "We Made It Happen", and "Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Altoist Nick Green is in a mighty sharp group here – one that's tight enough to match the Charlie Parker energy of the leadoff track, but which then moves into more soulful territory that really gives the whole record a wonderful vibe! The great Joe Magnarelli is on trumpet in the frontline, sounding great next to Green as both players really seem to have a way of elevating each other – and Jeb Patton's piano provides these rich currents that take the the whole thing back to the feel of an old Riverside Records or Blue Note date – thanks to crackling energy from Mike Karn on bass and the great Kenny Washington on drums. Green's definitely going to be a player to keep our ears out for in years to come – and titles include "All The Things You Are", "Horizons", "Cheatin", "Tear & A Smile", "Barry", "You Krane", and "A Handful Of Stars". CD

A killer set from jazz drummer Xaver Hellmeier – recorded in New York and produced by drummer Joe Farnsworth – a mentor of the younger player, and maybe the force for bringing together the top-shelf group on the date – a wonderful lineup that features Eric Alexander on tenor, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Peter Washington on bass, and David Hazeltine on piano! The album's got all the snap, crackle, and pop that you'd expect from such a group – sharp, and very much on the money – the sort of record you'd expect from any of the other artists, or Farnsworth too, which is high praise for Hellmeier's work here as a leader! The tracks include some well-chosen numbers – including a great remake of "Book's Bossa", plus "Midnight Waltz", "Tune Up", and "Advance Notice" – plus Hellmeier's originals "Blues For JF" and "Night In Verona". CD

Two fantastic early cuts from bassist Curtis Lundy – one of which features superb vocals from the young Carmen Lundy too! The stellar "Never Gonna Let You Go" was the first time most of us heard Carmen's voice – which is perfect for this uplifting, hard-grooving number that also features superb alto from the great Bobby Watson! The group here also features Steve Nelson on vibes, Hank Jones on piano, and Kenny Washington on drums – and "Jabbo's Revenge" is a wonderful instrumental track from the group! 7-inch, Vinyl record

The second album recorded by altoist Jesse Davis at Smalls in New York, and a set that's every bit as great as the first – like that one, a record in a setting that really seems to set Davis on fire at a level that's different than some of his studio recordings! Tracks are long, and Davis is wonderful on his solos – very expressive, almost blowing the instrument like some tenorist from years back – and getting superb accompaniment from Spike Wilner on piano, Peter Washington bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – all great players too. Titles include "Ceora", "Cup Bearers", "Gingerbread Boy", "Juicy Lucy", "Love For Sale", and "Rhythm N Ning". CD

A legendary live set from the Grateful Dead – served up here in a set so big, it needs 16 sides' worth of vinyl to deliver the music! There's loads of long jams here – the kind of criss-crossing, song-shifting material that makes the Dead so wonderful at this point in their career – as you'll hear on tunes that include "Dark Star", "Here Comes Sunshine", "Around & Around", "Not Fade Away/Goin Down The Road Feelin Bad", "It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry", "That's All Right", "Promised Land", "Dark Star/He's Gone", "Wharf Rat/Truckin", "Ramble On Rose", "Jack Straw", "Wave That Flag", "Morning Dew", "Beat It On Down The Line", "Looks Like Rain", "Box Of Rain", "El Paso", "Bird Song", "Playing In The Band", "Big River", "Eyes Of The World", and "Stella Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of immortal standards performed by Vaughan, Washington, and Bailey with titles that include "Perdido", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Stormy Weather", "Summertime", "Moonglow", "Stella By Starlight", and more. Cover features a gorgeous panoramic shot of downtown Chicago in the 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

Kamasi Washington opens the door to a bit more collaboration here – while also really managing to stay true to the vision that he's given us on his previous instant-classic albums! In just a short span of time, Kamasi has become a saxophone voice for a generation – linking past traditions with some of the more forward-thinking elements of the west coast underground – and even the presence of some bigger names on the record doesn't knock Washington from his visionary path! The set's grounded with work from drummers Ronald Bruner and Tony Austin, and bass from Stephen Bruner too – a great lineup that also includes trombone from Ryan Porter and piano from Cameron Graves – both artists you'll know and love for their own great records from the LA scene. And since we've mentioned the guests, the most likely partners here are Terrace Martin and Andre 3000 – the latter of whom is at his spiritual, meditative best – the new vibe he released on his own album – and other guests include George Clinton, Patrice Quinn, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Thundercat – on titles that include "Road To Self", "The Garden Path", "Lesnanu", "Asha The First", "The Visionary", "Dream State", "Prologue", and "Interstellar Peace". CD

Kamasi Washington opens the door to a bit more collaboration here – while also really managing to stay true to the vision that he's given us on his previous instant-classic albums! In just a short span of time, Kamasi has become a saxophone voice for a generation – linking past traditions with some of the more forward-thinking elements of the west coast underground – and even the presence of some bigger names on the record doesn't knock Washington from his visionary path! The set's grounded with work from drummers Ronald Bruner and Tony Austin, and bass from Stephen Bruner too – a great lineup that also includes trombone from Ryan Porter and piano from Cameron Graves – both artists you'll know and love for their own great records from the LA scene. And since we've mentioned the guests, the most likely partners here are Terrace Martin and Andre 3000 – the latter of whom is at his spiritual, meditative best – the new vibe he released on his own album – and other guests include George Clinton, Patrice Quinn, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Thundercat – on titles that include "Road To Self", "The Garden Path", "Lesnanu", "Asha The First", "The Visionary", "Dream State", "Prologue", and "Interstellar Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Kamasi Washington opens the door to a bit more collaboration here – while also really managing to stay true to the vision that he's given us on his previous instant-classic albums! In just a short span of time, Kamasi has become a saxophone voice for a generation – linking past traditions with some of the more forward-thinking elements of the west coast underground – and even the presence of some bigger names on the record doesn't knock Washington from his visionary path! The set's grounded with work from drummers Ronald Bruner and Tony Austin, and bass from Stephen Bruner too – a great lineup that also includes trombone from Ryan Porter and piano from Cameron Graves – both artists you'll know and love for their own great records from the LA scene. And since we've mentioned the guests, the most likely partners here are Terrace Martin and Andre 3000 – the latter of whom is at his spiritual, meditative best – the new vibe he released on his own album – and other guests include George Clinton, Patrice Quinn, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Thundercat – on titles that include "Road To Self", "The Garden Path", "Lesnanu", "Asha The First", "The Visionary", "Dream State", "Prologue", and "Interstellar Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great Bill Evans albums for Verve – both a very good fit together! The cover of Empathy co-credits Bill Evans and Shelly Manne as the leader of the set – and that distinction's an important one – as the record has a slightly different feel than some of Bill's other 60s work for Verve! The sound is often a bit stronger, somewhat bolder – and although Manne's not a monster on the drums, he does have a way of directing the tunes that's a bit different than some of Evans' other piano-led albums. Bass is by Monty Budwig, who's nicely sensitive to the talents of both players – and there's almost an equally-weighted melodic feel to all three elements of the trio – which really rounds out the record nicely. Titles include "The Washington Twist", "Danny Boy", "Let's Go Back To The Waltz", "With A Song In My Heart", "Goodbye", and "I Believe In You". Simple Matter Of Conviction is a move into a more sophisticated vein than his earlier recordings! The album has him working with bassist Eddie Gomez, a hugely talented bassist that would be one of Bill's best partners during this period, and a player who added a nice dose of soul to the proceedings. The drummer is Shelly Manne, who's pretty nice, too – and really shows off some of his more sophisticated shadings here in the presence of Evans and Gomez – similar to his work on the great Empathy album. Tracks are shortish, but filled with imagination – and titles include "Unless It's You", "These Things Called Changes", "Stella By Starlight", and "A Simple Matter Of Conviction". CD

Music from Jackie Wilson, Ruby And The Romantics, The Impressions, Brook Benton & Dinah Washington, Martha And The Vandellas, Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters, Jimmy Jones, The Miracles, Tommy Edwards, Chuck Berry, and more - 20 tracks in all. CD

A tremendous album from Thundercat – an artist who just seems to get better and better with every new record, and who's maybe here defining a genre that's completely unto himself! The record is soulful, and has a lot of contemporary cosmic currents – but it's also more far-reaching and fluid than anything that Thundercat's ever given us before – still done with key help from Flying Lotus, but with a majestic, confident quality that seems to have the duo ready to take over the universe! The airy soulful vocals are great, but the rhythms and instrumentation are maybe even more compelling – as there's a number of tunes here that are almost impossible to describe in words, even though they're instantly appealing and wonderfully soulful – a balance that's the sort of special genius from an artist who's ready to write himself into the pop music history books with a key release like this. There's a whole host of guests – including Ty Dolla Sign, Childish Gambino, Louis Cole, Kamasi Washington, Badbadnotgood, Miguel Atwood Ferguson, and many others – but it's clear that the Thundercat/Flying Lotus axis holds all the power – on titles that include "Fair Chance", "Funny Thing", "How Sway", "Miguel's Happy Dance", "Lost In Space/Great Scott/22-26", "Interstellar Love", "Overseas", "Dragonball Durag", "King Of The Hill", and "Existential Dread". LP, Vinyl record album