A really great groove from guitarist Gabor Szabo – a set that has the musician working with legendary producer Wayne Henderson, in a mode that moves into soul while still keeping all the best jazz elements intact! Szabo plays acoustic guitar alongside electric from Marlon McClain, with both players wrapped up nicely by Fender Rhodes work from the great Bobby Lyle – whose keyboard lines really act as the glue for all the grooves, while Henderson works to give them all the right sort of punch from the bottom! The mix of talents here comes together perfectly – like some of the best work on the Fantasy label at the time, or maybe a bit like some of the Mizell productions – but in a different way. Titles include "The Biz", "Magic Mystic Faces", "Gloomy Day", "Desiring You", "Misty Malarky Ying Yang", "Alicia", "The Last Song", and "Estate". CD features two bonus tracks – "The Biz (edit)" and "Alicia (edit)". CD

A dozen tracks of super-righteous soul – some of the heaviest work ever recorded for Motown! Undisputed Truth were the brainchild of Norman Whitfield – the producer who first forged the psychedelic soul sound of the late 60s with the Temptations, then moved onto Undisputed Truth to work some similar magic! The group's work was incredibly strong through their entire run at Motown – really pushing the boundaries of standard soul with a host of cosmic influences and really trippy rhythms. This set features some of their best – a set list that includes "UFOs", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Papa Was A Rollin Stone", "Law Of The Land", "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell Right Here On Earth", "What It Is", "Help Yourself", "Lil Red Riding Hood", "Poontang", "Higher Than High", and "Ball Of Confusion". CD

An insanely overstuffed collection of work by pianist Elmo Hope in a trio format – one that features tunes from 9 different albums, issued on a variety of different labels, all brought together in a single set! Hope in a trio format really takes off from the usual – displaying talents on the keys that rival contemporary modernists like Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, or Herbie Nichols – presented with a sound that has plenty of sharp edges and odd turns, but also some bluesier undercurrents as well. The material was recorded both in LA and New York – documenting both sides of Hope's continental sojourn in jazz – and bassists here include Percy Heath, John Ore, Curtis Counce, Jimmy Bond, Paul Chambers, and Ronnie Boykins; alongside drummers who include Willie Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Frank Butler, and Clifford Jarvis. 4CD set features 62 tracks in all – with material from the albums New Faces New Sounds, Meditations, Elmo Hope Trio, Homecoming, Sounds From Rikers Island, Here's Hope, High Hope, and The Final Sessions. CD

A pretty great little set that combines both of the rare early Elmo Hope 10" LPs for Blue Note – plus some additional material! Introducing The Elmo Hope Trio is seminal early work from Hope – and one of the 10" LP releases that was part of Blue Note's "New Faces – New Sounds" series during the early 50s. Hope's working here with Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones – and the trio go to town on numbers that include complicated bop tunes like "Carving The Rock" and "Hot Sauce", plus more melodic tunes like "Freffie" and "Mo Is On". As always, Hope proves himself to be one of the greatest pianists in jazz history – right up there with Monk, Herbie Nichols, and Bud Powell, bristling with excitement that few of his contemporaries (save those three) could match! The Elmo Hope Quintet session has Hope grooving in a very modernist approach to bop, working perfectly with a tight little quintet. Frank Foster wails on tenor, Freeman Lee soars on trumpet, and Percy Heath and Art Blakey keep the whole thing going on rhythm – while Hope plays madly on piano, adding in rich tones and colors to a set that might have otherwise been a straighter bop outing. Titles include "Chips", "Crazy", "Abdullah", and "Low Tide". The CD also adds in 2 tracks from the 40 Years Of Jazz collection in 1979 – "It's A Lovely Day Today" and "Crazy (alternate)" – plus 3 from the Art Blakey/Elmo Hope album – "So Nice", "St Elmo's Fire", and "Vaun Ex". CD

Unissued live work from the great Shirley Horn – recorded in Las Vegas right before her big comeback recordings of the 90s – at a time when Shirley was hardly getting a chance to make an album! That lack of attention hardly matters to Horn, though – as she faces this performance with all of the class, charm, and undeniable soul of her bigger label material – both singing and playing piano with that unique sense of phrasing that made her a standout from the 60s onward – easily one of the coolest jazz talents of her generation – and an artist that we'd rank up there with Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln, and a rare few others. The album's got a few especially nice long tracks – which have Shirley stretching out with great long solos on piano, too – in a trio that features Charles Ables on bass and Steve Williams on drums. Titles include "Meditation", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Hi Fly", "Just For A Thrill", "Blues For Big Scotia", "Lover Man", and "Isn't It Romantic". CD

Some of the most hard-hitting work ever recorded by Humble Pie – and that's saying a lot, given the power of the group on other albums! The performance is very unbridled – really open-ended, at a level that showcases not just the mindbending early guitar talents of Peter Frampton (something you'd never guess if you only knew his hits), but also the raw power that Steve Marriott could unleash in the group – quite a change from his work with the Small Faces. The tunes include a number of non-Humble Pie tracks, given a raw bluesy workout on extended versions – and titles include "Four Day Creep", "Stone Cold Fever", "I'm Ready", "Rollin Stone", and "I Walk On Gilded Splinters". CD

A great selection of some of Bobbi's funkiest tracks for Blue Note – with a focus on the tunes that have been big with the sample crowd over the past decade, all of which (no coincidence, thinks us!) are produced by the great Larry Mizell! Tracks include "Harlem River Drive", "San Francisco Lights", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "My Little Girl", "Blacks & Blues", and "Please Set Me At Ease". Great funky flute and breezy keyboards – and every cut's a gem! CD

A stone killer from funky flute player Bobbi Humphrey – one of her early albums for Blue Note Records, and a set that's a perfect summation of the best sides of her talents! The album's got a slightly different feel than Bobbi's work with Larry Mizell – yet still sports a similar approach that blends her amazingly spiritual flute lines with rich larger backings – in this case arranged by Horace Ott, Alphonse Mouzon, and Wade Marcus, in a sublime blend of electric jazz and soaring strings – all with a feel that's almost like some lost blacksploitation soundtrack! Given the lady's strength on her instrument, and her sharp sound on her solos, the record's got a focus and righteousness that takes it way past most contemporary efforts of this nature – a bold testament to the qualities that have made Bobbi one of our favorite players on flute for many many years. The set also features some wonderful Fender Rhodes – played both by Harry Whitaker and Paul Griffin – plus bass from Wilbur Bascomb, and heavy drums from Alphonse Mouzon. Titles include "Love Theme From Fuzz", "Nubian Lady", "Lonely Town Lonely Street", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", Is This All", "I Love Every Little Thing About You", "El Mundo De Maravilas", and a great version of Mouzon's "Virtue". CD

Wonderful work from Incognito – perhaps their greatest album ever! By the time of this 1993 release, this Brit funky soul combo was in perfect form – blending together classic modes of jazz funk into a tight modern blend that's lasted a lot longer than anyone might have thought at the time. From the perspective of nearly a decade later, this album glistens like a lost soul jewel – perfectly fitting in between some of our favorite 70s albums, and a few of the better sides from recent years. The vocals are great, the riffing is tight, and the production is smooth and soulful all the way through. Tracks include "Still A Friend Of Mine", "Positivity", "Smiling Faces", "Do Right", "Talkin Loud", and "Thinkin About Tomorrow". CD

Really great solo work from Ronnie Lane – post-Faces material that really gets back to basics, and offers up a huge number of wonderful original tunes as well! Ronnie was always one of our favorite members of The Faces – one of the more unassuming members of that excellent group, and almost the sort of gentle heart of the band – a quality that really comes through strongly here in work with his relaxed Slim Chance group. The tunes often use acoustic instrumentation more than electric – at a level that recalls the first early solo sets by Rod Stewart, although with a very different, un-posturing presentation by Ronnie – and the format gives Lane's great lyrics an even greater chance to shine through. 2CD set brings together all the best moments from the group's Island albums, plus rare tracks, alternates, and live material too – and titles include "Tin & Tambourine", "Don't Try & Change My Mind", "One For The Road", "The Poacher", "Street Gang", "G'Morning", "Bottle Of Brandy", "Ain't No Lady", "Blue Monday", "Back Street Boy (jam version)", "Debris (live)", "Ooh La La (live)", and "Country Boy (alt)". CD

An ambitious larger group album from Yusef Lateef – and one that's carried off with all the genius of his smaller group sessions from the time! Yusef himself is working with a variety of reed instruments – including tenor sax, oboe, flute, and argol – amongst a larger horn section that also features Josea Taylor on bassoon, Tate Houston on baritone sax, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and Clark Terry and Richard Williams on trumpet. Rhythm is by the trio of Joe Zawinul piano, Ben Tucker bass, and Lex Humphries drums – and although the horn arrangements are complicated, they're always soulfully swinging – never too academic, and really done on a way that just expands the mixture of exoticism and hardbop expressed on other Lateef albums! Titles include "Iqbal", "Apathy", "Summer Song", "Revelation", and "The Centaur & The Phoenix". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Jungle Fantasy" and "Titora" – both taken from The Many Faces Of Yusef Lateef album, and done with added percussion and background voices! CD

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". CD

A great title for this one – given that the album's got a full, spacious sound – one that definitely lives up to the "suite feeling" you'd expect! The style here is even more sophisticated than on the group's debut – still a mix of jazzy horns and rockish rhythms, but fused together even more perfectly – but with a leanness that's a good contrast to some of the more overblown groups of the same generation! There's just the right balance here to allow some standout solos – on horns, natch, but also some sweet Hammond too – and a young Howard Shore is also in the group on alto sax, and handled some of the arrangments for the record. Titles inlcude a great version of "A Day In The Life" – plus originals "Taking A Walk", "Could You Be Concerned", "Chest Fever", "Feel So Good", "Places On Faces Four Blue Carpet Traces", and "What Sense". CD

Two very cool, very unusual albums from The McCoys! Infinite McCoys is really weird, wonderful work from The McCoys – a group who've definitely drunk deep of the psychedelic brew since the years of their more soulful "Hang On Sloopy" hit! There's a richly expanded set of instrumentation going on here – all arranged by the group, with all sorts of things going on – including organ, ondioline, harpsichord, vibes, tablas, and a whole host of other things – like whip, bottle, machinery, and other things used to create odd sounds throughout the record! The set has a few more direct numbers mixed with some much more experimental ones – and includes some great jazzy use of horns, including alto from Freddy Lipsius and trumpet from Randy Brecker. Titles include "Hell", "Rosa Rodriguez", "Faces", "Resurrection", "Genesis Through A Window", "Melodrama", and "Union City Waltz". On Human Ball, the McCoys really let their hair down and freak flag fly – coming across in all sorts of really great ways that are light years beyond their early material! The set moves effortlessly between material that's groovy, bluesy, and sometimes warmly harmonic – all with the same sense of experimentation the group brought to their great Infinite album, but a bit more compact in terms of arrangements and expression! Titles include "Clergy Lies", "Daybreak", "Only Human", "Human Ball Blues", and "It Really Doesn't Matter". CD

Two very cool, very unusual albums from The McCoys! Infinite McCoys is really weird, wonderful work from The McCoys – a group who've definitely drunk deep of the psychedelic brew since the years of their more soulful "Hang On Sloopy" hit! There's a richly expanded set of instrumentation going on here – all arranged by the group, with all sorts of things going on – including organ, ondioline, harpsichord, vibes, tablas, and a whole host of other things – like whip, bottle, machinery, and other things used to create odd sounds throughout the record! The set has a few more direct numbers mixed with some much more experimental ones – and includes some great jazzy use of horns, including alto from Freddy Lipsius and trumpet from Randy Brecker. Titles include "Hell", "Rosa Rodriguez", "Faces", "Resurrection", "Genesis Through A Window", "Melodrama", and "Union City Waltz". On Human Ball, the McCoys really let their hair down and freak flag fly – coming across in all sorts of really great ways that are light years beyond their early material! The set moves effortlessly between material that's groovy, bluesy, and sometimes warmly harmonic – all with the same sense of experimentation the group brought to their great Infinite album, but a bit more compact in terms of arrangements and expression! Titles include "Clergy Lies", "Daybreak", "Only Human", "Human Ball Blues", and "It Really Doesn't Matter". CD

A gorgeous second volume to this amazing set – every bit as career-spanning as the first edition, but with a nicely different focus! This time around, the set has some especially rare material for fans of the Italian soundtrack genius – including a full CD of rare TV soundtracks scored by Ennio Morricone – plus additional themed CDs that include one disc of Vocal Songs and Covers, one of Lost Horizons, one of Unique Collaborations, and other CDs titled Comedy, Faces Of Italian Cinema, French Cinema, American Cinema, War Stories, and International productions! The package is stunning too – a book-style hardcover set, with 48 pages of notes and interviews! There's a massive 310 tracks on the 14 CDs – and the set mixes classics with rare material and some previously unreleased tracks – further testament to the endless depths of the soundtrack genius of Ennio Morricone. CD

A hugely expanded version of this unique early EP from The Move – a set that has the group playing live in a small London club – and turning out tunes that include a fair bit of remakes from other groups of the 60s! The record showcases the group's grittier side – and has them really hitting a frenzy in performance, especially as they rip apart others' tunes – often with an energy that's much more garagey than anything on their full length albums – and a sound that maybe ties them closer to contemporaries like The Yardbirds or Small Faces than you might expect! The set list is really great – full of surprises – and the CD features 12 tracks from the full club recordings, plus the 5 more that were on the original mono EP. Titles include "Sunshine Help Me", "Move Bolero", "So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star", "Higher & Higher", "Stephanie Knows Who", "Fire Brigade", "Flowers In The Rain", and "It'll Be Me". CD

Arguably the best Mark Murphy album ever – a stunningly soulful, and slightly spiritual 70s session that features some of his hippest tunes ever – with backings from arranger Dave Matthews and a group that also includes The Brecker Brothers and Don Grolnick on keyboards! Titles include great vocal versions of "Naima", "Empty Faces", "Red Clay", "Maiden Voyage", and "Canteloupe Island". CD

There's a pile of vinyl on the cover of this album from Japanese trio Nautilus – and that's maybe a good way to get at the sound of their style – as the group work heavily from an old school mode, while still pushing things into some more contemporary rhythmic territory too! The approach is somewhere between old school jazz trio work and some of the choppier styles of the young generation of Japanese trios – yet still with a lot more focus on the solo side of things, which some of those other groups are lacking! Much of the energy of the record comes from the piano and keyboard work of Mariko Nakabayashi, next to the bass of Shigeki Umezawa and drums of Toshiyuki Sasaki – on titles that include vocal appearances from Hanah Spring on "I Want You" and "It's A Shame", Ayaca on "Part Time Lover", and Kei Owada on "Empty Faces" – plus a nice take on the classic "Little B's Poem", and the cuts "The Eye Of The Hurricane", "Sweet Love Of Mine", and "Nebulosa". CD

Part hip hop, part abstract beats – and one of the more soulful and hip hop based late 90s/early 00s sets on Ubiquity! Features guest appearance from scene mainstays 2 Mex, Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone, Medusa, Abstract Rude and others. Tracks include "For Those Who Never Dream", "Leading To The One", "Monotone", "Sun Child", "Fiend Or Fix", "Planets Ain't Aligned", "Inner Eye", and "Sixth Sense". CD contains the bonus track "Faces Of The Deep". CD

A crazy batch of jazz-meets-beat poetry-meets-goofy stuff. Ken Nordine's wit is razor sharp as usual, and the tracks include "What Time Is It", "Sound Museum", "Down The Drain", and "Faces In The Jazzamatazz". Like taking drugs without the hassle! CD

Titles include "Love Is Strong", "You Got Me Rocking", "Sparks Will Fly", "The Worst", "New Faces", "Baby Break It Down", "Suck On The Jugular", "I Go Wild", "Brand New Car", and "Moon Is Up". CD

An all-star group – featuring John SCOfield, Joe LOvano, Dave HOlland, and Al FOster, hence the unusual name of the ensemble – all grooving in an angular mode that recalls the current Blue Note sound at its freshest. Lovano's edgey tenor and soprano work really make the session hold together nicely, as he's got a tone here that almost reminds us of George Braith back in the days when he was recording for Blue Note himself – especially on some of his organ-based sessions. Scofield's guitar is in that cleaner, leaner sound he's using these days – which is a good match for Foster's spare work on rhythm. Titles include "Oh", "Right About Now", "Brandyn", "Faces", "Oh I See", "In Your Arms", and "Shorter Form". CD

A wonderful meeting between three classic French jazz musicians – the kind of set from their scene that we haven't heard done this well in years – and a record that really reminds us of the best moments of the French trio explosion that took place towards the end of the 90s! As with some of those records, there's this intimacy between the players that's wonderful – an ability to quietly suss out sonic opportunities one minute, then soar boldly together the next – all with a sense of color and motion that's very dynamic, but never in a way that seems gimmicky, forced, or just done to call attention to itself. The lineup features Herve Sellin on piano, Jean Paul Celea on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – and titles include "The 3 Faces", "New Stories", "Contemporis", "Avant Propos", "What's The Point", and "Humelinea". CD

Genius, pure genius – and a record that will completely revise your thinking about Rod Stewart – a set that will blow away all the cliches you might know from later years, and will have you re-examining his early years in all their glorious brilliance! The sound is amazing right from the start – heavy on acoustic instrumentation that offers up a much rootsier side of Stewart than his work with The Faces or Jeff Beck – yet at a level that still packs a hell of a lot of punch, thanks to these incredible drums that get the whole thing going right from the start – urging on the vocals to a crackling charm that's even more powerful here away from any big chart hits. Even familiar tunes are completely remade by the godlike early Rod – as you'll year on tracks that include "Only A Hobo", "Gasoline Alley", "My Way Of Giving", "Cut Across Shorty", "Lady Day", "Jo's Lament", and "Country Comforts". CD

Genius, pure genius – and a record that will completely revise your thinking about Rod Stewart – a set that will blow away all the cliches you might know from later years, and will have you re-examining his early years in all their glorious brilliance! The sound is amazing right from the start – heavy on acoustic instrumentation that offers up a much rootsier side of Stewart than his work with The Faces or Jeff Beck – yet at a level that still packs a hell of a lot of punch, thanks to these incredible drums that get the whole thing going right from the start – urging on the vocals to a crackling charm that's even more powerful here away from any big chart hits. Even familiar tunes are completely remade by the godlike early Rod – as you'll year on tracks that include "Only A Hobo", "Gasoline Alley", "My Way Of Giving", "Cut Across Shorty", "Lady Day", "Jo's Lament", and "Country Comforts". CD

Incredible! The record's one that will blow away all your previous understandings of Rod Stewart – a wicked reinterpretation of the Faces sound, done with heavily acoustic instrumentation and really wonderful production. Includes Rod's landmark take on "Handbags & Gladrags" – plus "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Cindy's Lament", "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down", and "I Wouldn't Change A Thing". CD

2CDs – and a motherlode of classic work by The Temptations! The set focuses on the group's groundbreaking work with producer Norman Whitfield at Motown – sides from the late 60s and early 70s that were some of the most righteous to ever come out of the motor city! Whitfield had a really magical style that was perfect for the group – taking their older group style, and souping it up with heavy bass, rumbling drums, and lots of fuzzy guitar licks – all of which made for a sound that was instantly psychedelic, and massively righteous! The set includes 2 previously unreleased longer takes of "Psychedelic Shack" and "Ball Of Confusion" – plus 22 other classics that include "Slave", "Message From A Black Man", "I Can't Get Next To You", "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down", "Cloud Nine", "Runaway Child", "Love Can Be Anything", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Ungena Za Ulimengu", "Masterpiece", "Ain't No Justice", "1990", "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Plastic Man", and "War". CD

The first three albums by Undisputed Truth – finally on CD, with bonus tracks too! First up is the amazing debut of Undisputed Truth – one of the coolest new Motown groups of the 70s – and one of the few that really continued the experimental legacy of the label in the late 60s! As with the Temptations during their psychedelic years, Undisputed Truth are handled by superproducer Norman Whitfield – who does a fantastic job of mixing deeper ideas and righteous themes with some of the soaring soul that was the Motown stock in trade – a wonderful blend that made these guys one of the best groups poised to push the label into the new decade! Titles include the huge hit "Smiling Faces Sometimes", plus lots of covers of cool tracks like "California Soul", "Like A Rolling Stone", "Ball Of Confusion", and "You Got The Love I Need". Law Of The Land is an unstoppable groove from The Undisputed Truth – a group who worked with Norman Whitfield in the same psychedelic soul territory as The Temptations – and who arguably got the sound across even better than them! This set's not as much of a bit hit as the group's other records from the time – but that makes it sound even fresher and more fierce – loads of those hard-rolling basslines you'd expect from Whitfield's production – and some soaring arrangements from Paul Riser and David Van DePitte, both of whom give the album a sense of majesty to match its inherent righteousness. Titles include "Law of The Land" and "Mama I Got A Brand New Thing" – plus covers of Temps tunes "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Just My Imagination" – and other covers that include "Love & Happiness", "If I Die", "Feelin' Alright", and "Killing Me Softly", done in the full soul mode of the group. Down To Earth features Undisputed Truth at the height of their powers – still working in the psychedelic soul style they forged with Norman Whitfield at the end of the 60s – but with a groove that's tighter and sharper than ever before! We might well call the record the funkiest the group ever cut – as Whitfield's production really brings the rhythms into strong focus, while still letting the righteous message in the lyrics shine through in the group's strong sense of interplay – that back/forth between male and female vocals that really helps the group create a sense of social conversation. Titles include the Whitfield originals "Help Yourself", "Big John Is My Name", "Save My Love For A Rainy Day", and "Law Of The Land" – but the best tracks might be their covers, like "Love & Happiness" and "Our Day Will Come", both totally remade here into great new versions! CD features 6 more bonus tracks – including "Let's Go Back To Day One" and "Gonna Keep On Tryin Till I Win Your Love" – plus single edits of "What's Going On", "What It Is", "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell", and "Law Of The Land". CD

A great overview of one of Motown's hippest soul groups! The Undisputed Truth were the brainchild of Norman Whitfield – and the group were the perfect platform for the "right on" soul that Whitfield was starting to craft in Detroit at the end of the 60s. Whitfield mixed the group's male/female vocal style with a wealth of work on heavy bass, echoey drums, and fuzzy guitars – often having them sing songs with hipper, more contemporary themes, in the same mode as the political conscious soul he'd been working on with The Temptations. This 19 track set is a wonderful collection of the best Motown moments by The Undisputed Truth – with a strong selection of tracks that includes "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Girl You're Alright", "Law Of The Land", "Help Yourself", "Higher Than High", "Let's Go Back To Day One", "You Got The Love I Need", "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", "What's Going On", "I'm A Fool For You", "Spaced Out", and "UFO's". CD

Searingly spiritual work from David S Ware – a set that definitely draws on the gospel reference in the title, but in ways that are far from any sort of easy cliches! Ware blows tenor boldly here – drawing on a rich legacy from John Coltrane through Billy Harper, all focused sharply into his own dynamic musical vision – and that of his classic quartet with Matthew Shipp on piano and William Parker on bass! Ware's tones really dominate the record – especially given that the production brilliantly brings out all their sharpest edges and raspier moments – but Shipp's elliptical piano is a treat too, and nicely offsets some of Ware's sense of freedom. Susie Ibarra completes the group on drums – and titles include "Wisdomsphere", "Inner Temple", "The Stargazers", "Wisdom Through Time", and "Eternal Faces Of Braham". CD

The stunning second album from We All Together – a relatively obscure group from Peru, but one with a brilliance that matches our favorite UK and California pop of the late 60s! These guys clearly love the Beatles, but also have open ears for some of the hipper strands that were floating out of the A&M Studios at the end of the 60s – and singing in English throughout, they've got an amazing way with an original tune, and mix acoustic piano and light guitar with completely transcendent production – simple, but marvelously effective in the way it lifts the whole proceedings into the heavens! Titles include "Ozzy", "Cloudy Night", "Silly Roadman", "Who Knows", "Little Boy", "Persons & Faces", "Follow Me If You Can", and "Beautiful People". CD

Lucinda Williams second album for Folkways – and the first to feature her own material – introducing one of the best Americana singer songwriters of the past few decades! Happy Woman Blues has an apt title, and although there's plenty of heartache in her radiating from her vocal chords and in her words, it's done with passionate, unflinching confidence and charisma the brings a smile to our faces as wide as the one she's wearing in the cover photo. More of a honky tonk record than a blues record, and a great one! Essential! Titles include "Lafayette", "Lost It", "Maria", "Happy Woman Blues", "Rolling Along", "Howlin At Midnight", "Hard Road", "Louisiana Man" and more. CD

The second volume of the soundtrack to the film Dead Presidents. Like the first volume, this is a whopping batch of classic 70s soul tracks – including "Right On For The Darkness" and "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue (Live)" by Curtis Mayfield, "I Got The Feelin" and "Ain't That A Groove" by James Brown, "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth, "Cowboys To Girls" by The Intruders, "Keep On Pushing" and "(Man Oh Man) I Want To Go Back" by The Impressions, "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder, "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" by Sam & Dave, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Jerry Butler and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" by The Temptations. CD

A killer collection of east coast soul from the 70s – work that originally appeared on a handful of different labels, but which was all put together by Robert Hosea Williams – an unsung producer working out of a small studio in Silver Springs – with an incredible ear for up-and-coming talent! The music here is totally deep and righteous throughout – the hippest of the indie label scene on the east coast – and work that really lives up to the progressive, righteous reference you'd get from the Red, Black, & Green in the title! There's plenty of group soul here – of a type that mixes older harmony modes with hipper 70s references – creating a really badass approach to soul music that's simply mindblowing – and way different than the mainstream variants that were hitting the charts at the time. The whole thing's great – one of the best Numero comps in years – and titles include "Phoney People" and "I Really Really Love You" by Father's Children, "Sleepwalking" and "Let's Do It Over" by The Summits, "Don't Worry About The Joneses" and "We're Two Fools In Love" by Dysons Faces, "Day By Day" and "It Must Be Love" by The Exceptions Featuring Mark Greene, "Town Called Nowhere" and "I Need Your Love" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, and "Summer In The Parks" and "Generation" by East Coast Connection. CD

A set that definitely lives up to its title – as it's kind of an extra dose of soulful tracks from the vaults of the many reissue projects handled by the Numero Group over the years! The collection brings together upbeat soul groovers, warm modern soul gems, and a few funkier cuts – in a mix that really rewrites any understanding that you might have of uptempo soul in the 70s – underground grooves that are quite far from the slicker disco of the charts, and which together make for a set that could easily pack the dancefloor! Titles include "Deep In Your Heart" by Young Divines, "I Love You" by Karriem, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "Love Explosion" by Donnell Pittman, "Love Is On The Way" by Bill Spoon, "Try My Love Again" by Syl Johnson, "Lift This Hurt" by Elvin Spencer, "We're Two Fools In Love" by Dyson's Faces, "No Matter" by La'Fez, "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "I Think It's Time" by Alice Swoboda, "I'll Never Say No" by The Summits, "Cosmos Third Eye" by Cosmos Universal Band, and "Standing By Love" by Eula Cooper. CD

A deep deep look at a side of the British 60s scene that didn't always make big waves here in the US – but one that had a huge influence on UK sounds for years to come! The mighty book-like package documents the rich stream of sounds that exploded during the beat group years – a moment that was partly graced by some of the names that we'd know here as the Brit Invasion, but which soon moved off into much more expansive sounds that include mod moments, freakbeat grooves, and a fair bit of tunes influenced by American jazz and soul! The 6CD set features a whopping 165 tracks in all, plus a huge booklet of notes – and a number of the tracks are pulled from the Pye Records catalog – one of the most important Brit labels of the period – but the set also includes lot of bits from elsewhere too. Includes work by The Rogers, Marmalade, The Baskervilles, The Web, The Mighty Atoms, Glenda Collins, The Mike Stuart Span, Bobbi Rio & The Revelles, Carl Wayne & The Vikings, The Mike Cotton Sound, Ray Singer, Marilyn Powell, Just Four Men, Twinkle, Tony Jackson, The Cops N Robbers, Major Rowley, Paddy Klaus & Gibson, David Bowie & The Lower Third, The Lancastrians, New Faces, The Limeys, Mick & Malcolm, Kind, Episode Six, and many others! CD

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. CD

An explosion of groundbreaking sounds from the 60s – all records issued in the magical year of 1965 – with a fresh vibe that would influence years of soul, psych, and garage styles to come! Jon Savage has already given us two other great year-based collections on Ace, but this one might be one of his most impressive – given that most folks tend to overlook the musical power of 1965, in favor of bigger explosions later in the 60s – but all of which were inspired by these earlier moments of fire! You'll definitely recognize some of the tunes here, but with his usual genius, Jon Savage has a way of mixing the familiar with the obscure – coming up with new ways to put everything together, and really opening up our ears in the process. As with previous volumes, the notes are huge – with plenty of details on the sounds within – and the 2CD package features a whopping 48 tracks in all – with titles that include "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" by The Silkie, "Concrete & Clay" by Unit Four Plus Two, "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" by The Byrds, "Buttermilk (part 1)" by Sly, "Boot Leg" by Booker T & The MGs, "Fortune Teller" by Tony Jackson with The Vibrations, "That's The Way It's Got To Be" by The Poets, "Come & Stay With Me" by Marianne Faithful, "See My Friends" by The Kinks, "Too Many People" by The Leaves, "I've Got Mine" by The Small Faces, "The Duck" by Jackie Lee, "The Story Of John Hardy" by Sir Douglas Quintet, "We Sell Soul" by The Spades, "Blow Your Mind" by The Gas Co, "You Just Gotta Know My Mind" by Karen Verros, "Can You Hear Me" by Lee Dorsey, "London Town" by Pretty Things, "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl" by The Barbarians, "I'm Alive" by The Hollies, "Leaving Here" by The Birds, and "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash & The Crawlers. CD

Music by Foghat, Deep Purple, Foreigner, Faces, Alice Cooper, Boston, Grand Funk Railroad, Jefferson Starship, Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, Mott The Hoople, and more – 40 tracks total. CD

Music from Slim Harpo, Bo Diddley, Mose Allison, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Jimmy Reed, Benny Spellman, The Yardbirds, Small Faces, The Action, The Creation, The Impressions, Booker T. Jones, and The Who. CD

A deep deep dive into the farther reaches of the California scene in the late 60s – music that's completely wonderful all the way through, and presented with a level that really blows away some of the less-official collections on the market! If you know the hit sounds of the time, you'll know a bit of what to expect here – but the selection of cuts goes way way deeper, put together by Alec Palao, a guy we'd already trust with anything Cali from the 60s – and who really knocks himself out with this set! If you dig Beach Boys, Mamas & Papas, and the Byrds, you'll find plenty of new sounds here to fall in love with – and as usual with Ace, the whole thing comes with superb notes, and even features a few unreleased tracks – including two rare cuts by Third Wave, who recorded one album for MPS! Titles include "Niki" and "Three Kingfishers Ferris Wheel" by Third Wave, "Go Try & Put Out The Sun" by The Forum, "Soul Sunrise" by JP Rags, "A Thousand Faces" by The Thousand Faces, "Out In The Open" by The Justice League, "Meadows & Flowers" by Curt Boettcher, "Richard & Me" by Evergreen Tangerine, "Someday Sunday" by The Gettysburg Address, "Lazy Bones" by The Tricycle, "Sugar Stone" by The Candy Company, "The Life You Lead" by A Small World, "Summer Flower" by Crystal Set, and "Until Now" by Augie Moreno. CD