A stone classic from Flaming Ember – a combo with a sound rooted in rock, but filled with plenty of soul too – making they a key funky crossover act in the early 70s! These guys borrow the best of Motown soul and the best of the jazzier rock groups of the time – and often use lots of raw congas in with their percussion – which keeps things grooving with plenty of soulful inflections. There's some nice psych production at times – a bit like the best Norman Whitfield modes at the start of the 70s – and titles include "Flashbacks & Reruns", "The Empty Crowded Room", "Going In Circles", "Westbound #9", "Spinning Wheel", and "Shades Of Green". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool look at the UK Ember label – with a special focus on their contribution to female pop in the 60s! This package is a lot more focused than other Brit girl pop collections on the market, and has a slightly different vibe as well – given that each of the three singers included had a style that was very much their own! The set features a handful of tracks from Twiggy, the famous model – maybe not the strongest singer, but a surprising presence with the right production – on titles that include "Over & Over", "Beautiful Dreams", and "I Need Your Hand In Mine". Next, there's a good batch of material from Linda Thorson – best known for her role in The Avengers on TV, but a decent singer who can capture some of the slight soul currents of the time – on tunes that include "Wishful Thinking", "Here I Am", "I'll Just Pick Up My Heart", "A Bad Time To Stop Loving Me", and "You Will Want Me". Last up is a good batch of work from the really great Julie Rogers, including most of her album Once More With Feeling – on titles that include "Baby Don't You Leave Me", "Come Tomorrow", "Children Of My Mind", "This Is Me", "But You Know I Love You", and "You Better Sit Down Kids". CD

Vintage recordings with Billy Kyle, Rex Stewart, Barney Bigard, Carmen Mastren, and Wellman Braud. LP, Vinyl record album

Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, JJ Johnson on trombone, Fats Navarro and Red Rodney on trumpet, Al Haig and Bud Powell on piano, Curley Russell and Tommy Potter on bass, and Art Blakey and Roy Haynes on drums. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

32 tracks from the Five Satins, the Silhouettes, Billy Myles, Lee Allen, Gloria Lynne, Rudy Greene, the Miller Sisters, the Embers, George Tinley, Jimmy Young, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

An overstuffed package of work from Annie Ross – one that features a few key albums, plus some rare bonus tracks too! First up is A Handful Of Songs – which has Ross recording as a solo act back in England after leaving her famous group with Dave Lambert and John Hendricks! The style here is a bit like some of the solo work that Ross cut in the US at the end of the 50s – particularly her sides for Pacific Jazz – not as vocalese and solo-oriented as the sort of recordings that first got her noticed, but still a lot more dynamic than most straighter jazz singers of the time! Arrangements are pretty groovy overall – nicely jazzy, and penned by Johnnie Spence – also produced by John Barry, who really helps keep the right sort of "punch" in the set. Titles include "Fly Me To The Moon", "Nature Boy", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "Like Someone In Love", "A Handful Of Songs", and "All Of You". Next is A Gasser – one of Annie Ross' rare albums as a solo act away from her trio with Jon Hendricks and Dave Lambert – and a great little session cut with small combo jazz backing, which gives the song a nice swinging edge! Zoot Sims is the main soloist on the tunes, Russ Freeman lays down piano tracks to set the mood – and other players include Jim Hall, Monte Budwig, Mel Lewis, and Bill Perkins – all of whom contribute wonderfully to the album, and give it a nicely grooving west coast finish. Titles include "I Was Doing Alright", "You Took Advantage Of Me", "Lucky Day", "Lucky So & So", and "Nobody's Baby". 2CD set also features material from the London cast recording of Cranks – which features Ross with Anthony Newley – plus some songs with Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross – and the tune "Let's Fly" by Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers, which was written by Ross. CD

An obscure one from Annie Ross – recording here as a solo act back in England after leaving her famous group with Dave Lambert and John Hendricks! The style here is a bit like some of the solo work that Ross cut in the US at the end of the 50s – particularly her sides for Pacific Jazz – not as vocalese and solo-oriented as the sort of recordings that first got her noticed, but still a lot more dynamic than most straighter jazz singers of the time! Arrangements are pretty groovy overall – nicely jazzy, and penned by Johnnie Spence – also produced by John Barry, who really helps keep the right sort of "punch" in the set. Titles include "Fly Me To The Moon", "Nature Boy", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "Like Someone In Love", "A Handful Of Songs", and "All Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully introspective work from reedman Emil Mangelsdorff – material that's very different than the sounds he was bringing to the German jazz scene in his youth, and which showcase the mature command he developed over his instruments during the passage of time! The record features material recorded almost a decade apart, but still with a nicely unified vibe – four later tracks that have Mangelsdorff soloing in these tracks that really demonstrate his growing sense of tone – balanced with earlier material that features some slightly different smaller groupings – three trio numbers with Jo Flinner on piano and Gerhard Bitter on bass, and four more with the great Attila Zoller on guitar. Mangelsdorff blows soprano, alto, and flute – and titles include "Phrygian Summer", "Corrina", "Joanne", "After The Snow", "Mezzanine Floor", "Stiner", "Ember", and "Songe Ma Belle". CD

An underground soul gem from DJ Harrison – aka Devonne Harris – a set that features the man himself on all the instruments, served up in a lean take on classic soul modes of the 70s! Think of the record as a one-man effort to capture some of the charms of Curtis Mayfield or the Isleys – sometimes on short tracks that are more sketches of ideas, but woven together as a much larger whole that really bristles with color and imagination throughout! There's plenty of Fender Rhodes on the set, and Harrison's got this crackling vocal style that's instantly charming – on cuts that include "Cigarette Ember", "Chester Fields", "I Gotta Go To Work", "The Man", "Soul Food Nostalgia", "DayDreaming", and "Chinatown Bus". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of some of the best numbers from the Hot Wax label of the early 70s – second generation Detroit soul that really set the standard for the 70s! The tunes here were massive back in the day – blasting out of juke boxes, car radios, and a fair bit of home stereos too – all for good reason, given the care and balance the Holland-Dozier-Holland team brought to their work in the studio, and their ears for selecting singers to handle the work. Titles include "Want Ads" and "Stick Up" by Honey Cone, "Somebody's Been Sleepin" and "Too Many Cooks" by 100 Proof Aged In Soul, "Westbound #9" and "Mind Body & Soul" by Flaming Ember, "Woman's Love Rights" by Laura Lee "Women's Love Rights", and "Frightened Girl" by Silent Majority. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Toshiko Akiyoshi on piano – with either Ray Drummond or George Mraz on bass, and Lewis Nash or Al Harewood on drums! CD

Includes the albums I Remember You, Milestone, and A Tribute To Chet Baker. CD

A later gem from Bobby Blue Bland – done in a smooth style that fits the later approach of the Malaco label, but with a vocal style that hasn't dimmed a bit over the years! Bobby's still got that incredible rasp in his voice – that approach that easily made him one of the most soulful bluesmen of his generation – with a sense of sophistication and understanding of the music that holds true throughout the entire record. The vibe's a bit like some of Bland's late work for ABC – and titles include "Members Only", "In The Ghetto", "Heart Open Again", "I Need Your Love So Bad", "Straight From The Shoulder", and "Sweet Woman's Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

A lasting tribute to Brownie! The album was released some years after Brown died, and is comprised of songs from his 1955 album Clifford Brown With Strings, plus a few tracks from other recording sessions from that year before his death. The players include Richie Powell (Bud Powell's brother who also died in the crash with Brown),piano; Max Roach on drums and Harold Land and Sonny Rollins on tenor sax. Brown's original composition "Sandu" and Richie Powell's own "Time" are included as well as "Yesterdays," "Cherokee (Indian Love Song)," "Willow Weep for Me" and an unusual version of "Take the A Train." LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Bushkin on piano, Milt Hinton on double bass, Jo Jones on drums, and Buck Clayton on trumpet. CD

... CD

Rare later work from June Christy – with titles that include "Cecilia", "Mister Wonderful", "Lover", "I'll Take Romance", "Checkin In", and "September Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman on saxes, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Christian McBride on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums! CD

One of the headier groups in the Mainstream Records psychedelic scene of the late 60s – and that's saying a lot, considering the company the act were keeping on the label! December's Children features both a male and female vocalist, each of whom sing a bit solo, but also come together in occasionally majestic ways – a bit like the mode of Jefferson Airplane at times, but with a lot more complexity. Styles range from funky blues rock to gentler, folksier modes – and although the instrumentation is conventional for a rock combo, the group manage to get a lot of unusual sounds out of what they have on hand. Titles include "Afternoon", "Hide The Water", "Sweet Talkin Woman", "Slow It Down", "Livin Way Too Fast", and "Back Road Rider". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The Duke takes his famous orchestra – including Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, Barney Bigard, and Jimmy Blanton – to Fargo, North Dakota. The complete concert features performances of "Stompy Jones", "Ferryboat Serenade", "Sepia Panorama", "Slap Happy", "Sidewalks Of New York", "Caravan", and "Congo Brava". 50 tracks total. CD

With 34 tracks on 2 CD's. CD

... CD

Features Lalo Schifrin on piano, Leo Wright on alto and flute, and two tracks with Candido. CD

Features Benny and Ron Blake on tenor, John Swana on trumpet, and Mike LeDonne on piano! Also includes Peter Washington on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums, and Tito Puente and Patato Valdes on percussion. CD

Not the compilation you might expect – but material from a special live performance dedicated to bop greats – featuring work from pianists Walter Bishop Jr, Al Haig, Duke Jordan, Sadik Hakim, John Lewis, Barry Harris, and Tommy Flanagan. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful set from vocalist Jon Hendricks – and quite different than most of his other work! This set was one of a few that Jon recorded while living in the UK at the end of the 60s – and it features orchestrations by Wally Stott, and production by Johnny Franz – the team who both made the Scott Walker records of the late 60s so great! The style here is a bit more subdued than that on the Scott Walker albums – warm and lush, in a mode that has Hendricks singing as a traditional vocalist, in a mellow late nite style. The album features a few original tunes – "Times Of Love", "Where", and "One Rose" – plus great versions of "I Concentrate On You", "Lil Darlin", and "Nature Boy". Oddly dark, with some nice touches – and a whole new side of Hendricks' vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

John Hicks works in some really wonderful company here – a trio with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Idris Muhammad – both of whom really add a lot to the date! We're always big fans of Lundy's sound on bass – and his approach here has the same warm-rolling quality you'd find in his own best 80s work – really helping to push Hicks' lyrical agenda on the piano with a rhythmic support that's tremendous. Muhammad's pretty great too – definitely on the understated side of his talents, that nicely subtle sound he developed in the 80s – and Hicks, as always, is more than a cut above most of his contemporaries, and continues a long legacy of extremely soulful work on the keys of the piano. Titles include "Pas De Trois", "Hold It Down", "Airegin", "Coral Keys", "Ted's Delight", and "Blue In Green". LP, Vinyl record album

Mark Isham on trumpet, Doug Lunn on bass, Peter Maunu and Steve Cardenas on guitar, and Michael Barsimanto on drums. CD