A crucially important record in Sonny Rollins' career – one that had him breaking out of the straight bop sound, and emerging as a major power on the tenor sax – one with limitless creative power! The set features Rollins working with only drum and bass accompaniment – played by Max Roach and Oscar Pettiford, respectively – and the lack of piano or other horns gives Rollins a free space in which to work his magic, doing so incredibly on the album's "Freedom Suite", an extended piece that runs for nearly 20 minutes, and which pushes all conceptions of the tenor's ability to solo freely on record. The other side of the record features shorter tracks – "Shadow Waltz", "Someday I'll Find You", and "Will You Still Be Mine?" – blown with no less creativity. Includes a bonus alternate take of "Till There Was You". CD

All praise to the mighty J5 – reminding us in the early 00s that hip hop could still be about funky, party rockin' beats and flowing on beat, with witty, intelligent rhymes – and sound as fresh as ever! This album's mostly produced by Cut Chemist, though Nu Mark has a hand in a number of tunes, and there's a couple of tracks by the Beatnuts. Akil, Chali 2na, Zaakir and Marc 7 don't do as much of the unison, sing song style that'd been their trademark in the past, but their back to the old school/new school style is still intact. 17 cuts in all, including "Freedom", "If You Only Knew", "Break", "React", "A Day At The Races", "After School Special", "High Fidelity" and "I Am Somebody", plus the Kool Keith skit "DDT" and Cut Chemist's cut'n'paste "Acetate Prophets". CD

A crucially important record in Sonny Rollins' career – one that had him breaking out of the straight bop sound, and emerging as a major power on the tenor sax – one with limitless creative power! The set features Rollins working with only drum and bass accompaniment – played by Max Roach and Oscar Pettiford, respectively – and the lack of piano or other horns gives Rollins a free space in which to work his magic, doing so incredibly on the album's "Freedom Suite", an extended piece that runs for nearly 20 minutes, and which pushes all conceptions of the tenor's ability to solo freely on record. The other side of the record features shorter tracks – "Shadow Waltz", "Someday I'll Find You", and "Will You Still Be Mine?" – blown with no less creativity. CD

A crucially important record in Sonny Rollins' career – one that had him breaking out of the straight bop sound, and emerging as a major power on the tenor sax – one with limitless creative power! The set features Rollins working with only drum and bass accompaniment – played by Max Roach and Oscar Pettiford, respectively – and the lack of piano or other horns gives Rollins a free space in which to work his magic, doing so incredibly on the album's "Freedom Suite", an extended piece that runs for nearly 20 minutes, and which pushes all conceptions of the tenor's ability to solo freely on record. The other side of the record features shorter tracks – "Shadow Waltz", "Someday I'll Find You", and "Will You Still Be Mine?" – blown with no less creativity. Includes a bonus alternate take of "Till There Was You". CD

A bold statement of power from one of the most legendary versions of the Jazz Messengers – that incredible quintet that featured Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano! The title's an indication of the righteous territory in which the group is working – a nod to the civil rights era, and the sense of empowerment that all the musicians are feeling in both their solos, and their writing – which you'll hear in the album's two compositions each by Morgan and Shorter. Tracks are nice and long, and have the players stretching out beautifully – on titles that include "The Freedom Rider", "El Toro", "Petty Larceny", "Blue Lace", and "Tell It Like It Is". CD reissue has the added bonus of including 3 extra tracks that were previously only issued on a rare Japanese album – including "Pisces" and "Blue Ching". CD

Wow! We can never get enough of Eddie Harris. Despite all of the silly situations he's ended up in over the years, an album like In Sound still stands as a beautiful testament to all of the raw power in Eddie's playing. His tone is perfect, and totally unique – and he plays here with Cedar Walton on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and the great Ray Codrington on trumpet, who also played with the JFK Quintet. No tricks here, just incredibly solid jazz playing, on tracks like Eddie's famous "Freedom Jazz Dance", plus "Born To Be Blue" and "Cryin' Blues". Mean Greens is another example of classic 60s soul jazz material by Eddie – and proof that the move to Atlantic was a good one! As usual with Eddie's 60s sessions, the players are very hip – and feature an amalgamation of younger and lesser-known talents like Melvin Jackson, Ray Codrington, and Sonny Philips. Cedar Walton also plays some lovely piano on the record, giving a few tracks a bit more of a lyrical touch than usual – and Eddie responds to this nicely in his solos. Includes an early take of "Listen Here", with Eddie on electric piano, next to Sonny Philips' organ. Also with "Goin' Home", "Blues In the Basement", and "Mean Greens". CD

Very nice set of Mingus' legendary Candid recordings – produced in 1960, after Mingus angrily departed Columbia records, and was finally given the freedom to work in the way that he wanted. The recordings are some of Mingus best – and they feature a righteous anger and sheer jazz power that's unmatched by few other recordings. Tracks include "Mysterious Blues", "Reincarnation of A Lovebird", "Bugs", "R&R", "Vassarlean", and more! CD

The classic agit-rap-rock debut of Rage Against The Machine – with the most fiery political lyricism and imagery of any massively popular record of its time – and as great of a pairing of revolutionary rap and heavy guitars as there ever was! It's hard to imagine now, but there were very few straight up rap rock bands before Rage Against The Machine. Hard rock breaks were ample, of course, but straight up rap rock bands were pretty scarce, pre-Rage. Rage Against The Machine's pop culture revolution was as massive as the social and political revolution that their songs called for! Includes "Bombtrack", "Killing In The Name", "Take The Power Back", "Settle For Nothing", "Bullet In The Head", "Know Your Enemy", "Wake Up", "Fistful Of Steel", "Township Rebellion" and "Freedom". CD

There might be a trumpet in Archie Shepp's soul, but the album features him on tenor and soprano sax – working in a wonderfully spiritual vein that's almost in the same mode as his early 70s work on Impulse! The album features some very long, drawn out tracks – but ones that build nicely with Shepp's soulful styles of the 70s – that groove he explored a bit on the Black Saint label, with a bold sense of majesty and power, presented with more control than the BYG/Actuel years. The album features some great vocals – again recalling Archie's later Impulse years – and players include Walter Davis Jr on electric piano, Dave Burrell on acoustic piano, Charles Greenlee on trombone, Ray Draper on tuba, and Beaver Harris on drums. Titles include "There's A Trumpet In My Soul", "Zaid", "Down In Brazil", and "It Is The Year Of The Rabbit". CD

It's a long long way from Destiny's Child – as Beyonce comes on here with a righteous power she's never had before – much more message-oriented, and with larger agenda than the catchy pop of her youth! The album got quite a buzz before release, and definitely lives up to that promise – certainly darker, and deeper than anything we've heard before from the singer – almost her own move into some of the territory that D'Angelo hit in recent years, although with a more mainstream R&B construction to some of the tunes. The record features guest work from Jack White, Kendrick Lamarr, The Weeknd, and James Blake – but Beyonce is clearly the main focus throughout – on titles that include "Pray You Catch Me", "Daddy Lessons", "Forward", "6 Inch", "Don't Hurt Yourself", "Hold UP", "Freedom", "All Night", and "Formation". Deluxe CD includes a DVD with the Lemonade companion film! CD

Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

A remixed version of Incognito's Tales From The Beach album – but one that feels more like a collaborative effort from all the talents involved, working together with the original tunes almost in tribute to the mighty power of the group! The mixers here are all either contemporaries of Incognito, or a slightly younger generation who've clearly been influenced by their classic blend of jazz funk and soul – and unlike other remix projects, which might wreck the original brilliance of the album, this one serves to push it forward even further – taking Bluey's initial inspiration, and moving strongly upward with a great sense of warm and soul. Titles include "Step Aside" remixed by Dimitri & DJ Meme, "Feel The Pressure" remixed by Mark De Clive-Lowe, "Happy People" remixed by Christian Prommer, "Love Joy Understanding" remixed by Tortured Soul, "Freedom To Love" remixed by Simon Grey, "I Come Alive" remixed by DJ Day, "Tales From The Beach" remixed by Outside, "I Remember A Time" remixed by Francis Hylton, and "Freedom To Love" remixed by Yam Who. CD

A stone classic from the glory days of 90s hip hop – a set that's worth it not just for Jeru's mad lyrics, but also for the sublime production of DJ Premier – from a time when he had so much studio genius, he seemed to be reinventing the sound of hip hop with each new release! The set's a double-length gem, billed on the back as "created to save hip hop" – which Jeru and a rare few were able to do at the major label level, at a time when artists rarely got the chance to explode with such freedom and power like this. Tracks include "One Day", "Me Or The Papes", "Tha Frustrated Nigga", "Scientifical Madness", "Revenge Of The Prophet (Part 5)", "One Day", "Too Perverted", "Invasion", "Ya Playin Yaself", "Black Cowboys", "Whatever", "Physical Stamina", and "How I'm Livin". CD

Proof that Elvin Jones wasn't just riding on the laurels of the Great One during his years with John Coltrane – as the album's a breakout date that has Jones firmly establishing his own voice in jazz! There's an explosive power here that makes us think that Elvin must have really just been biding his time with Coltrane – waiting for the chance to try out his own new ideas in music, and finding the perfect accompanists here in a trio that includes Jimmy Garrison on bass and a young Joe Farrell on tenor, soprano sax, and flute! The lack of a piano in the group really makes for a sense of new freedom that's totally great – not dreamy, melodic piano-less work, as in some of the LA groups of earlier years – but a searing, soaring intensity that Farrell was a perfect choice to head up. And while the format might serve to be an excuse for Coltrane-styled blowing, the approach here is decidedly not – a more focused, energy driven approach that really makes strong use of Jones' work on the drum kit, throbs with soulful undercurrents from Garrison's bass, and is topped off by angular, effortlessly-blown lines from Farrell – clearly pointing the way towards a generation of players that would emerge in his wake during the 70s. Tracks include "Village Greene", "Reza", "Kei Ko's Birthday March", and "Sweet Little Mama". CD

A stone cooker from the Blues Project – a fantastic mix of blues, folk, and pretty darn hard rocking guitar – all recorded with a sense of freedom that really lets the group open up and do their thing! The album's overflowing with great original Al Kooper tunes – and the set's recorded with a great edge to the guitars, making for some wonderfully psychedelic moments – and a sheer raw power that's really let this one stand up over the years, without the kind of cliches you might expect from the group's name! Titles include "Fly Away", "Caress Me Baby", "Two Trains Running", "Steve's Song", "You Can't Catch Me", and "I Can't Keep From Crying". CD

Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

Sublimely spiritual work from trombonist Charles Greenlee – a player who's best remembered for work as a sideman with Archie Shepp, but who really sparkles as a leader on this rare Japanese set! The vibe here is totally great – a righteous approach to soul jazz that rivals the best work of the Strata East scene in the US, but which is carried off with the poise and power of some of the best mid 70s Japanese-only dates of this type – clearly a great deal of respect and freedom given to Greenlee in the studio, but also some good help in putting together the record in as solid a way as possible. Jean Carn makes a great appearance singing on 3 tracks here – with a quality that's even more righteous than her work with Doug Carn on Black Jazz – and one more number features the great Joe Lee Wilson on vocals too. Players include Hubert Eaves and Art Matthews on piano, Charles Sullivan on trumpet, Archie Shepp on tenor and soprano, Buster Williams on bass, and either Charlie Persip or Beaver Harris on drums – and titles include "I Know About The Life", "He's Gone", "Steam", "Someday", "Crusificado", and "Miss Barbara". CD

A fresh set of work from drummer Kendrick Scott – a lean trio set that features excellent interplay with the bass of Ruben Rogers and tenor of Walter Smith III – the latter of whom really gets a chance to take off in the setting! We've loved Smith on other records, but here the freedom of the trio really seems to set a new sort of fire – very bold work on drums by Scott at many points – emerging with a righteous power that maybe makes us think he should always be heading a trio – especially when Walter's got a way of soaring around the sound at a level this great! Titles include "What Day Is It", "One Door Closes Another Opens", "Your Destiny Awaits", "Threshold", "Isn't This My Sound Around Me", and "A Voice Through The Door". CD

A young Jackie McLean at the height of his powers – really stretching out here, but never going too far out – a perfect balance between his modern bop of previous records, and his groundbreaking "new thing" jazz to come! The group is a relatively straight ahead one – with Walter Davis on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but the tracks are all quite long, and have this really arch sensibility on Jackie's horn – this edge, this cry he didn't have a few years before – easily one of the freshest voices in alto sax at the time, yearning here to break free with new ideas and new modes of expression. The vibe is perfectly balanced – like McLean's classic A Fickle Sonance – and titles include the classic "Melody For Melonae", plus "Rene", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Omega". CD

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. 23 pivotal tracks on 2CDs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Attica Blues" by Archie Shepp, "Peyote Song No III" by Horace Tapscott & Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Freedom Time" by Pharoahs, "Black Survival" by Roy Brooks & Artistic Truth and more. CD

Tremendous work by Lee Morgan – easily one of his greatest albums, and a soaring session of modal energy that easily rivals the best work of the Impulse era! The album's got a slightly different feel than usual for Blue Note – a sense of freedom, joy, and soaring energy that's totally great – explored by a crack group that features Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all coming together with a unique sense of creativity! The rhythm section is one of the key factors here – as Mabern, Cranshaw, and Higgins have a fluid groove that really sets the tone for the record – letting Morgan and Shorter stretch out to the height of their powers, and explore some incredible modal and soulful themes. Titles include the seminal 11 minute reading of "The Gigolo", plus "Yes I Can No You Can't", "Speedball", and "Trapped" – as well as an excellent reading of "You Go To My Head" that completely opens up the old standard! Plus, this CD reissue's got a bonus alternate take of "The Gigolo", for an extra 10 minutes of music! CD

Sweet early work by organist Shirley Scott – some of the first trio sides she recorded when stepping out as a leader! Shirley had first come to fame as the organist in the Eddie Lockjaw Davis combo, but here she shows an even more versatile approach than on those groundbreaking sides – really stepping out on the keys, with a freedom that's clearly inspired by the early Jimmy Smith recordings on Blue Note, and which is somehow even more powerful than some of her later work. Possibly one of the core ingredients here is the fact that Shirley's working in more of a piano trio mode than other organists at the time – going without a guitarist, and using both bass and drums for rhythm – so that the organ is the main solo vehicle on the tunes, really dominating the proceedings, even on the shorter numbers. Tracks are mostly standards and familiar numbers, but they're soulfully done by Shirley in a style that glides nicely throughout! The 16 track set features material from 2 full albums – with titles that include "The Scott", "Four", "Brazil", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Trees", "Summertime", "There Will Never Be Another You", and "I Can't See For Lookin". CD

Tremendous work by Lee Morgan – easily one of his greatest albums, and a soaring session of modal energy that easily rivals the best work of the Impulse era! The album's got a slightly different feel than usual for Blue Note – a sense of freedom, joy, and soaring energy that's totally great – explored by a crack group that features Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all coming together with a unique sense of creativity! The rhythm section is one of the key factors here – as Mabern, Cranshaw, and Higgins have a fluid groove that really sets the tone for the record – letting Morgan and Shorter stretch out to the height of their powers, and explore some incredible modal and soulful themes. Titles include the seminal 11 minute reading of "The Gigolo", plus "Yes I Can No You Can't", "Speedball", and "Trapped" – as well as an excellent reading of "You Go To My Head" that completely opens up the old standard! Plus, this CD reissue's got a bonus alternate take of "The Gigolo", for an extra 10 minutes of music! CD

A seminal early moment from the legendary Albert Ayler – an important session recorded overseas in Copenhagen – where enthusiasm for Ayler's music caught fire more strongly than in the US! The group's got an edge that's maybe even sharper than some of Ayler's ESP material, but no less powerful – with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – working through tremendous readings of six Ayler classics that include "Ghosts", "Children", "Holy Spirit", "Vibrations" and "Mothers". A wonderful precursor to the ESP years – and equally great! CD

Definitely the way ahead in jazz – back in the 60s, and well into the 21st Century too! Archie Shepp's in prime form here – working with a sextet that's awash in avant freedoms, but which always shows a great sense of restraint – just the right power gained from the new modes of jazz expression, as the players dance together beautifully on a razor's edge of personal creativity and ensemble exploration. Players here include Grachan Moncur on trombone, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Beaver Harris and Roy Haynes on drums – and the album also features the first piano player on most of the Shepp albums on Impulse – Walter Davis Jr, making a rare outside appearance with the group! Titles include the classic track "Frankenstein", plus "Fiesta", "Damn If I Know (The Stroller)", and "Sophisticated Lady" – all nice and long! CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "New Africa" and "Bakai". CD

An amazing start for this seminal group – material that appeared on the albums Freedom Sound, Lookin Ahead, Tough Talk, Heat Wave, Stretchin Out, The Thing, Uh Huh, Powerhouse, and Give Peace A Chance – plus some unissued tracks too! CD

A pivotal record in the sound of the US scene at the end of the 60s – and a record that seems to trace an entire evolution in rock during the space of just one album! Touch have roots that go back to The Kingsmen and Don & The Goodtimes – and you can definitely hear garage elements in the organ and guitars – but they're also stretching out freely in all the heady freedoms of the late 60s – with a soaring approach that definitely lives up to the cover image! There's a blend of rough and rootsy with confident and cosmic going on – a really powerful approach that's made the album a standout for years, even if the group never hit some of the fame of their bigger contemporaries. Titles include "We Feel Fine", "Friendly Birds", "Down At Circe's Place", "The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer", and "Seventy Five". CD features some great bonus tracks – rare demo versions fo "We Finally Met Today", "Alesha & Others", and "The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer" – plus film music for "The Second Coming Of Suzanne", and the cut "Blue Feeling". CD

Mindblowing work from IG Culture – the summation of all our previous expectations in his music, cast forward into bold new territory! The set's got the depth and majesty of a 70s spiritual jazz session, but still also bristles with the crackling cosmic touches we first loved in IG's work – a blend of righteous jazz and vocal themes, all infused with a new sort of energy for the 21st Century! Rhythms are sometimes soaring, sometimes skittish, and bits of hip hop and soul nestle in alongside spiritual jazz modes – with a collective feel that's as powerful as it is positive. IG's got some great help for the record too – including Chicago talents Dee Alexander on vocals, Ernest Dawkins on reeds, and Corey Wilkes on trumpet – plus Sacha Williamson on vocals, Josh Deep on vibes, and Tom Ashe on trumpet. Titles include covers of 70s classics "Girl U Need A Change Of Mind" and "Revelation" – plus "Black", "Consumed", "Any Questions", "Adjusted Perspectives", "B Free", "This Love", and "Ra Bops In Blacknuss". CD

A sweet set of vocal tracks from Judy Roberts – a mix of original tunes and a few covers, all done with a warm fusiony style, and plenty of Brazilian touches! Judy's at the height of her powers here – partly jazzy, partly in a songstress mode that's inspired by the advances that female singers made during the 70s – stretching out in the new freedoms, but never forgetting the lyric, or a need to swing. Includes a great remake of Ivan Lins' "Common Ground", plus the tracks "Two & A Half", "Country Samba", "Save That Time", "Nights In Brazil", "I Can't Help It", and "Starlight Haunted Ballroom". CD

2 of Sunny Murray's classic sides for the BYG label, on one CD! Sunshine is one of Sunny's rarest from the time – and a full-on session that features Lester Bowie, Arthur Jones, Roscoe Mitchell, Archie Shepp, Kenneth Terroade, Dave Burrell, and Malachi Favors. The large group wails mightily, with a spiritual edge that's a bridge between Murray's New York avant roots and some of the late 60s work of the AACM. Side one features the extended "Flower Trane", and side two contains "Real" and "Red Cross". Even Break is one of the best-ever BYG/Actuel sessions, and one that has the unlikely pairing of east coast avant players Sonny Murray and Byard Lancaster, with Art Ensemble Of Chicago bassist Malachi Favors! Murray plays drums, and reads a bit of poetry, while the band wails behind him in powerful turgid lines of hard free jazz that represent all there is to say about the freedom of the Paris jazz scene in 1969. 4 long tracks – "Invisible Blues", "Complete Affection", "Giblets – Part 12", and "An Even Break". CD

An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a massive collection of 146 tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording artists on the label! Given that fact, these aren't scratchy recordings performed by hacks who can't sing – as almost all the material features the sort of top-shelf vocalists who made Stax such a deep soul powerhouse in the 60s and 70s – represented here in a style that shows just how much freedom of creative expression the label allowed its best – very different than the way some of the bigger companies would just cram a song down a quickly-booked session in the studio! Plus, these demo tracks are done in a variety of modes – some with very stripped-down instrumentation, some with fuller groups – and together, they offer a key look at the creative process at Stax – one that's very different than the iconic sound of productions in their Memphis studio, and which really shows an even deeper range of expression through the variety of approaches. The 7CD set has a really cool approach – CDs 1, 2, and 3 feature demos by Stax artists singing their own material; CD4 features Stax singer/songwriters working on non-Stax material; and CDs 5, 6, and 7 feature songs by these artists that were never issued at the time! The set includes work by The Staple Singers, William Bell, Carla Thomas, Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, Eddie Floyd, Veda Brown, Frederick Knight, Mack Rice, Delaney Bramlett, Jimmy Hughes, and many others – and the package features 146 tracks in all, with copious notes on the material! CD

A great document of all this famous harmony trio/quartet were able to achieve during their first few years – a masterful reworking of vocal group modes from earlier rock and soul styles, taken forward towards the 70s with a spirit that's still as powerful today as it was back at the time! These tracks saw so much circulation over the years, it's easy to forget how revolutionary they were – especially when coming from artists who had roots in more familiar rock modes, but who somehow really seemed to rise together in the company of each other. Titles include "Deja Vu", "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Ohio", "Teach Your Children", "Our House", "Helplessly Hoping", "Wooden Ships", "Woodstock", "Helpless", "Guinnevere", and "Find The Cost Of Freedom". CD