A deep deep dig into the vaults of King/Federal Records – initial home to James Brown and a host of other R&B acts in the 50s – lots of whom are featured here! The collection includes many tracks never reissued before – all hand-picked by vintage 45 expert Mr Fine Wine, and laid out at a level that's both fresher than most King Records collections – and most of the 50s R&B sets we know as well! Fine Wine comes at the project almost with a "roots of funk" approach – which means that there's loads of unusual rhythms, weird cultural hybrids, and raw pre-soul vocals over the top – a killer range of cuts that include "Space Guitar" by Young John Watson, "Bossa Nova & Grits" by Little Joe Washington, "The Way You Do" by Jimmy Nolen, "Good Mambo Tonight" by Wynonie Harris, "Somewhere Down The Line" by Little Jimmy Scott, "You Can't Hide" by Lula Reed & Freddie King, "Back On The Block" by Sam Anderson & The Telstars, "Same Old Thing" by Amos Milburn, "You're Lower Than A Mole" by Camille Howard, "Be Bop Wino" by The Lamplighters, "Cherry Wine" by Little Esther, and "Stop Knockin" by Juanita Nixon. CD

Some folks might associate Philadelphia soul with the famous Gamble & Huff productions of the 70s disco years – but the city was already overflowing with great music in the years before Philadelphia International – as you'll hear in this totally groovy set! Philly was making as much great soul music in the 60s as Detroit, Chicago, and New York – thanks to an earlier musical framework that was set up by the city's big pop hits of the late 50s – which provided plenty of labels, studios, and other facilities for Philly's ever-growing array of soul talents, too – so much so that by the end of the 60s, the city was turning into a destination for singers outside of town – almost as much of a musical magnet as studios in Memphis or Muscle Shoals! This set does a great job of bringing together both aspects of that scene – wonderful homegrown talent, mixed with outsiders to really took off in the new Philly sound of the 60s – a joyous, positive, upbeat approach that worked wonderfully well for a variety of artists. Titles include "Your Fool Still Loves You" by Oscar Weathers, "It's All Over But The Shouting" by George Tindley, "You've Been Untrue" by The Delfonics, "Ain't Nothing But A House Party" by The Show Stoppers, "Peace To You Brother" by Lou Johnson, "Christine" by Executive Suite, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "You Got What I Need" by Freddie Scott, "Rainmaker" by The Moods, "Keep On Striving" by Moses Smith, "That's The Price You Have To Pay" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "What You Gave Up" by The Continental 4, "Every Day Is A Holiday" by The Intruders, "Standing In The Darkness" by The Ethics, and "Girl You're Too Young" by Len Barry. CD

Curtis Mayfield is a hell of a singer – as most folks know from his work in the Impressions, and his later solo classics of the 70s – and he's also a hell of a songwriter too, one who was very generous with his magical material, right from the start! Back in the 60s, Curtis was sharing his songs with other up-and-coming soul singers on the Chicago scene – some of whom he was also producing in the studio, as well – and as the decade moved into the 70s, others were soon picking up Mayfield's tunes – both for their ability to deliver a personal message, and for the larger political agenda that was always in the music too! This really well-done collection brings together two dozen of Curtis' best songs, handled by other folks – mostly from the 60s and early 70s, but with a few surprises from later years too – all supported with a really great collection of notes and other information too. Titles include "Man's Temptation" by the Jackson 5, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, "Rainbow (alt)" by Gene Chandler, "Monkey Time" by The Miracles, "I'm So Proud" by Main Ingredient, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "That's What Love Will Do" by The Gaylads, "Never Stop Loving Me" by Keni Burke, "I've Been Trying" by Jerry Butler, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's All Over" by Walter Jackson, "Mama Didn't Lie" by The Orlons, "He Will Break Your Heart" by Freddie Scott, "People Get Ready" by Dionne Warwick, "Need To Belong" by Isaac Hayes, "Make Me Believe In You" by Patti Jo, "Let's Do It Again (single edit)" by The Staple Singers, "Look Into Your Heart (single edit)" by Aretha Franklin, and "The Makings Of You" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. CD

There's few singers we like better than Blossom Dearie – and this great little record captures Blossom at her unfettered best, working live before an intimate crowd at London's Ronnie Scott's nightclub in the 60s! The performance is in the same small combo mode as some of Dearie's Verve albums from the 50s – but there's a looser swing here that's really great – an even hipper approach to the even hipper tunes that pushes the Blossom aesthetic very nicely into the 60s. Blossom herself is on piano, supported by the bass of Freddie Logan and drums of Alan Ganley – and overall, the album's a few notches up from the better-known Blossom Time At Ronnie Scotts, thanks to a more fluid groove and very strong choice of material. Titles include "Big City", "One Note Samba", "On A Clear Day", "You Turn Me On Baby", "Let's Go Where The Grass Is Greener", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Peel Me A Grape", "Sweet Lover No More", and an early reading of "Sweet Georgie Fame". CD