Two classic Lloyd Charmers albums – both new to CD, and presented here with lots of first-time CD bonus tracks too! First up is the great Gold Connection album – an obscure little record, but a soulful one too – a rare 70s Federal Records session that mixes together reggae and soul – with vocals by a trio of female singers that includes a young Marcia Griffiths and Cynthia Schloss! Lots of tracks take a disco inspiration, but slow the pace down a lot more for the Kingston scene – so that the grooves are dubby steppers with a lot more going on at the bottom than their American counterparts up north – laidback, and given some nice instrumentation from Willie Lindo on bass, Harold Butler on keyboards, and Cedric Brooks on tenor! Titles include "That's The Way I Like It", "Fly Robin Reggae", "Love's Theme", "Soul Charm", "Do It Anyway Reggae", "Latin Hustle Reggae", and "Darling I Like It". Next up is Sweet Dreams, a very unique album from Jamaican sweet soul singer Dobby Dobson – an artist who seems to owe a bit to Sam Cooke, and who references music from Sam's era too – remaking some older cuts with a warmer, sweeter 70s vibe overall! The Lloyd Charmers production makes for an unusual blend of reggae and classic soul – and titles include "Little Stars", "Sweet Dreams", "Oh Gee", "You're Mine All Mine", "Muriel", "My Special Prayer", and "It's A Miracle". 2CD set features 20 more bonus tracks – including the great Supernatural Thing project from Richard Ace with Lloyd Charmers – and more tracks from Sister Stern, The Africans, Richard Ace, Delroy Wilson, and CHARM! CD

The great Harold Butler handles both acoustic piano and keyboards here – in a lineup that also features Cedric Im Brooks on alto, tenor, and flute! There's a nicely jazzy vibe to the album at times – with more trumpet, trombone, percussion, and guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment in the west coast hardbop scene – and one of the greatest early records from saxophonist Harold Land! The group's a really striking one – with the unique Dupree Bolton on trumpet, a great player that we really only know from this set – plus Herbie Lewis on bass, Frank Butler on drums, and the great Elmo Hope on piano! Hope's piano really gives the set an edgey finish that seems to bring out even more dark tones in Land's horn than usual – and another aspect of the session that's worth noting is its early production by David Axelrod – who really seems to have an ear for making all the elements gel together perfectly. There's a really free-thinking sound here that makes the album stand out from other LA work of the time – and titles include "The Fox", "Sims-A-Plenty", "One Down", and "One Second, Please". LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment in the west coast hardbop scene – and one of the greatest early records from saxophonist Harold Land! The group's a really striking one – with the unique Dupree Bolton on trumpet, a great player that we really only know from this set – plus Herbie Lewis on bass, Frank Butler on drums, and the great Elmo Hope on piano! Hope's piano really gives the set an edgey finish that seems to bring out even more dark tones in Land's horn than usual – and another aspect of the session that's worth noting is its early production by David Axelrod – who really seems to have an ear for making all the elements gel together perfectly. There's a really free-thinking sound here that makes the album stand out from other LA work of the time – and titles include "The Fox", "Sims-A-Plenty", "One Down", and "One Second, Please". CD

Hard-burning early work from tenorist Harold Land – exactly the kind of date that set him apart from other west coast players of the 50s! Although he was part of the LA scene of the time, Harold Land grooved a lot harder and louder than his cool jazz contemporaries – and this album's a perfect chance to hear the underground bop scene of which he was a cornerstone. The tunes are amazing – and even the familiar numbers have a real edge, thanks to sharp arrangements by Harold and Elmo Hope. Equally great is the group – which features an unusual US appearance from Swedish trumpeter Rolf Ericson, who's a surprisingly soulful fit for the sound of the session – plus Carl Perkins, the legendary sideways pianist, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Frank Butler on drums. Titles include "Delerium", "Smack Up", "Grooveyard", "Lydia's Lament", and "Nieta". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with a sexy cover, but a set that's one of the more soulful from the LA scene of the 50s – thanks to a tight, sharp group working under the leadership of bassist Curtis Counce! Counce didn't cut many albums as a leader, but all of them are pretty darn great – and done with a bit more edge than the cool jazz of the LA scene – a bit more open, with a strong focus on the solos on some of the album's longer tracks too! Solos include great work on tenor by Harold Land – who's really coming into his own here – plus Jack Sheldon on trumpet, and Carl Perkins on piano – a player who would pass away not long after this set. Frank Butler completes the group on drums – and titles include "Complete", "Big Foot", "Counceltation", and "Mean To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Hampton Hawes isn't exactly the first pianist we think of when it comes to bluesy lines in his music – but there's definitely a blue-tinged undercurrent to most of the work in this set – a well-chosen batch of tracks from Hamp's early years as a leader on Contemporary Records! The album features work in a variety of settings – with players who include Red Mitchell, Ray Brown, or Scott LaFaro on bass – Shelly Manne, Chuck Thompson, or Frank Butler on drums – and some occasional work by Harold Land on tenor sax, and either Jim Hall or Barney Kessel on guitar. Titles include "Blues The Most", "Hamp's Blues", "Hip", "Soul Sign Eight", "The Sermon", "For Real", "Hampton's Pulpit", "Takin Care", "Up Blues", and "Blues For Jacque". CD

Excellent small group material from modern alto genius Art Pepper – a set that might well be our favorite of all the classic albums he cut for Contemporary Records! The album's got quite a strange title – Smack Up, a very strange choice, given Pepper's well-known experience as a junkie – and the set features some edgey work that really pushes Art away from the sweeter sounds of a few years before – material that maybe reflects some of the troubles he'd been going through, which shows up in the music in some really great ways. The group is a lean quintet – with Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Pete Jolly on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – and there's some slightly off-kilter tracks on the set that really make it sparkle, including Duane Tatro's "Maybe Next Year", Ornette's "Tears Inside", and Harold Land's "Smack Up" – the irony of which, we're sure, was not lost on Art Pepper! Also includes Pepper's own "Las Cuevas De Mario". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really gets at the full spectrum of the boogaloo groove – not just the Spanish Harlem sounds of the Latin Soul generation – but also the deeper roots of the style from across the USA! "Boogaloo" is a term that most folks use to refer to that New York uptown fusion of Latin rhythms and soulful vocals – and while the NYC styles were key to its fame, the music also burst forth from lots of points west, too – and came together in a flurry of fast rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, and hard-driving vocals that made for a completely infectious blend! This package is a fantastic testament to that mad musical moment – and is overflowing with a selection of gems that goes way past the obvious – not the Fania Records catalog that usually shows up on other boogaloo releases, but a huge batch of tracks from small labels and indie singles too. Titles include "Skate Boogaloo & Karate Too" by Lee Harris, "Block Party" by Jimmy Castor, "Boogaloo #3" by Roy Lee Johnson, "Do The Boo-Ga-Loo (part 1)" by Tom & Jerroo, "Playing It Cool" by Hector Rivera, "Ready Steady Go" by Prince & Princess, "Bar Kays Boogaloo" by The Bar-Kays, "What I Feel" by Richie & The PS 54 School Yard, "Have Some Boogaloo" by Timmy Thomas, "Bugalu" by Charlie Palmieri, "Boogaloo (part 1)" by The Bob & Earl Band, "Me & You Doing The Boogaloo" by Lou Courtney, "Boogaloo Zoo" by Shirley Butler, "Bugaloo Party" by Harold & Connie, "Boogaloo Investigator" by The Exotics, "Funky Funky Boogalo" by Jimmy Brown, and "Let's Do The Funky Boogaloo (part 1)" by Barry Jones. CD

Music from Soul Survivors, The Intruders, Archie Bell & The Drells, Jerry Butler, The O'Jays, The Intruders, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, Billy Paul, Bunny Sigler, Laura Nyro & LaBelle, Joe Simon, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, The Ebonys, and more. CD

A seminal session of LA hardbop – featuring a great group that includes Gerald Wilson, Jack Sheldon, Harold Land, Frank Butler, and pianist Carl Perkins, the unique talent who had a strange way of playing the keys (sideways!), and who died shortly after the recording of this set. As the title might imply, the album's dedicated to Perkins – and titles include "Nica's Dream", "Pink Lady","Carl's Blues", and "Larue". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with a sexy cover, but a set that's one of the more soulful from the LA scene of the 50s – thanks to a tight, sharp group working under the leadership of bassist Curtis Counce! Counce didn't cut many albums as a leader, but all of them are pretty darn great – and done with a bit more edge than the cool jazz of the LA scene – a bit more open, with a strong focus on the solos on some of the album's longer tracks too! Solos include great work on tenor by Harold Land – who's really coming into his own here – plus Jack Sheldon on trumpet, and Carl Perkins on piano – a player who would pass away not long after this set. Frank Butler completes the group on drums – and titles include "Complete", "Big Foot", "Counceltation", and "Mean To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent small group material from modern alto genius Art Pepper – a set that might well be our favorite of all the classic albums he cut for Contemporary Records! The album's got quite a strange title – Smack Up, a very strange choice, given Pepper's well-known experience as a junkie – and the set features some edgey work that really pushes Art away from the sweeter sounds of a few years before – material that maybe reflects some of the troubles he'd been going through, which shows up in the music in some really great ways. The group is a lean quintet – with Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Pete Jolly on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – and there's some slightly off-kilter tracks on the set that really make it sparkle, including Duane Tatro's "Maybe Next Year", Ornette's "Tears Inside", and Harold Land's "Smack Up" – the irony of which, we're sure, was not lost on Art Pepper! Also includes Pepper's own "Las Cuevas De Mario". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Soul Survivors, The Intruders, Archie Bell & The Drells, Jerry Butler, The O'Jays, The Intruders, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, Billy Paul, Bunny Sigler, Laura Nyro & LaBelle, Joe Simon, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, The Ebonys, and more. CD

One of the great lost 70s sides on the Xanadu label – and a nice set of bop material from west coast pianist Dolo Coker. Coker had a brief resurgence in the mid 70s, thanks to records like this, and he's grouped nicely with Harold Land on tenor, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Frank Butler on drums. The tracks are long, with a distinct focus on Coker's hard-handed piano style. Titles include "Smack Up", "Dolo", "Affair In Havana", and "Field Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album that's every bit as wonderful as you might expect from its cover – one of the key late 50s sides as a leader from bassist Curtis Counce – cut with a killer lineup that includes Harold Land on tenor sax, Rolf Ericson on trumpet, and Elmo Hope on piano! The set's got the mix of modernism and soul bop leanings you might expect from the players – a really fresh approach that comes off especially well in the non-iconic production style of the Dootone label – a mode that really let the players do their own thing, and break out from some of the tighter restrictions of other LA labels on the scene. Frank Butler completes the quintet on drums – and titles include "The Countdown", "Into The Orbit", "Race For Space", "Move", "Angel Eyes", and "So Nice". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – the previously unreleased "Foreplay", plus unedited takes of "Move" and "The Countdown". CD

A great little album that's every bit as wonderful as you might expect from its cover – one of the key late 50s sides as a leader from bassist Curtis Counce – cut with a killer lineup that includes Harold Land on tenor sax, Rolf Ericson on trumpet, and Elmo Hope on piano! The set's got the mix of modernism and soul bop leanings you might expect from the players – a really fresh approach that comes off especially well in the non-iconic production style of the Dootone label – a mode that really let the players do their own thing, and break out from some of the tighter restrictions of other LA labels on the scene. Frank Butler completes the quintet on drums – and titles include "The Countdown", "Into The Orbit", "Race For Space", "Move", "Angel Eyes", and "So Nice". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent small group material from modern alto genius Art Pepper – a set that might well be our favorite of all the classic albums he cut for Contemporary Records! The album's got quite a strange title – Smack Up, a very strange choice, given Pepper's well-known experience as a junkie – and the set features some edgey work that really pushes Art away from the sweeter sounds of a few years before – material that maybe reflects some of the troubles he'd been going through, which shows up in the music in some really great ways. The group is a lean quintet – with Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Pete Jolly on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – and there's some slightly off-kilter tracks on the set that really make it sparkle, including Duane Tatro's "Maybe Next Year", Ornette's "Tears Inside", and Harold Land's "Smack Up" – the irony of which, we're sure, was not lost on Art Pepper! Also includes Pepper's own "Las Cuevas De Mario". CD