Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s – a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums – longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling energy here that's totally great – dynamic, powerful calls from James at the top of most tunes – and incredibly sharp work on horns and rhythm from the band – cutting grooves and turning lines like no other combo in the business, all with a great mix of deep soul and hard funk! The album features the 7 minute killer version of "Let a Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", plus "World (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A New Day (parts 1 & 2)", "Give It Up or Turn It Loose", "If I Ruled The World", "The Man In The Glass (part 1)", and "I'm Not Demanding (part 1)". A treasure trove of funk and soul! CD

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One of the greatest albums ever from James Brown – even if it wasn't issued during his classic run of funk records in the early 70s! Yet the material here is all from that time – recorded by Polydor when James and the JBs were completely kicking ass in the studio – turning out these monstrous longform funk jams that often gave up too much material to fit on all of his albums – which makes this package an overdue dip into the vaults to rescue some of those treasures! The package first saw the light of day in 1988 – at a time when the genius of James was being rediscovered by younger hip hoppers and DJs – and the set is a love letter to all that James had to offer that scene – with gems that include the lost soul classic "She's The One", a duet with Bobby Byrd called "Since You Been Gone", a live version of "There It Is", an untitled instrumental and another instrumental one called "Funk Bomb" – plus a huge long 9 minute version of the great "People Get Up & Drive Your Funky Soul" from Slaughter's Big Ripoff, and the cuts "Say It Loud & Live", and "Baby Here I Come". CD

A long-overdue tribute to the fantastic soul trio of Pat Hodges, Denita James, and Jessica Smith – a group who were often joined by a young Carolyn Crawford, to cut some fantastic singles back in the 70s! The group is wonderfully dynamic – as if everybody could be a soaring soulful lead – which gives the girls this sound that's way more than just the usual slice of female group soul from the time – something you'd know if you were lucky enough to score one of their rare 45s! And while the group did get the chance to cut a few albums, their best moments were often on 7" singles – which lead here to a whole other host of unissued tracks that sits nicely with cuts they released on labels like Pride and Mpingo. We've been huge fans of the group for decades, and have always treasured their singles – but here, we're discovering even more greatness than we knew existed – as the set features 13 tracks that were never issued back in the day, joining up with another 8 to make a glorious set list that includes "Wishful Thining", "Nobody", "In My Fantasy", "Write Me A Letter", "Let's Pick Up The Pieces", "Again", "Baby My Love Is Showing", "Let It Out Let It In", "I'm A Woman Who Loves You", "Ain't That Right", "If You wanna Love Me", and "It Cracks Me Up". CD

Great vocals and modern production – a mix of James Ingram's older roots in soul music, and some of the more contemporary soul modes coming down at the end of the 80s! Ingram's got a power in his voice that just won't quit – soaring out wonderfully and warmly, even when the rhythms are stark and electric – never buried too far in the mix, like some of his contemporaries on the scene. The album's split into two sides – "It's Real Hard" and "It's Real Soft" – the former of which is mostly upbeat, pop-soul material, the latter more ballads and key quiet storm tracks. Titles include "Call On Me", "It's Real", "So Fine", "Love Come Down", "Baby Be Mine", "Love 1 Day At A Time", "Someday We'll All Be Free", and "A Natural Man". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from James Brown – even if it wasn't issued during his classic run of funk records in the early 70s! Yet the material here is all from that time – recorded by Polydor when James and the JBs were completely kicking ass in the studio – turning out these monstrous longform funk jams that often gave up too much material to fit on all of his albums – which makes this package an overdue dip into the vaults to rescue some of those treasures! The package first saw the light of day in 1988 – at a time when the genius of James was being rediscovered by younger hip hoppers and DJs – and the set is a love letter to all that James had to offer that scene – with gems that include the lost soul classic "She's The One", a duet with Bobby Byrd called "Since You Been Gone", a live version of "There It Is", an untitled instrumental and another instrumental one called "Funk Bomb" – plus a huge long 9 minute version of the great "People Get Up & Drive Your Funky Soul" from Slaughter's Big Ripoff, and the cuts "Say It Loud & Live", and "Baby Here I Come". Plus, this expanded version also features a 7 minute version of "I Got Ants In My Pants", the track "You've Changed", and a 12 minute alternate mix of "Bodyheat". CD

Killer work from James' late 60s period – the time when he was working with the Pee Wee Ellis/Maceo James Brown Band, and developing some of his most crucial conceptions of funkiness. The 2 CD set is filled with nice extra bits – like extended versions of tracks you might already know, alternate takes, and even a few unreleased live performances. Titles include "I Got The Feelin", "There Was A Time", "Funky Drummer", "She's The One", "You Got To Have A Mother For Me", "Licking Stick", "Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "It's A New Day", "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)", and "Get It Together (parts 1 & 2)". Niceness! CD

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". CD

Four classic albums from this hip British soul group – issued here in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is New Religion – a record that was also released in America by Atlantic Records. Although they were a UK soul act, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds were a perfect match for the Atlantic soul stable of the 60s. The group had a smooth group style that was partly uptown, partly northern soul – as clearly illustrated in this album, which is divided up into a "mood red: you feel like leaping" side, and a "mood blue: you feel like digging deeper" side. The band chose some good material that really helps them maintain a solid socking soul sound – including "The Entertainer" and "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" by Tony Clarke, "Ain't No Big Thing" and "I'm Just A Fool For You Girl" by Gerald Sims, and "Little Boy Blue" and "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield. Also features "Come To Me Softly", a sweet dreamy ballad by Jimmy, and kind of a bit crossover hit for the boys. London Swings is two-sided monster – as the album was originally split with work from the Alan Bown Set too! Here, the CD features just the live material from the soul group – a smoking performance from Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – one that goes way past the sweetness of their hits, and which has a crowd-pleasing, party-hearty approach to soul that's really great! Jimmy and the group serve up versions of "Sock It To Em JB", "That Driving Beat", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "You Don't Know Like I Know", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". This Is Jimmy James & The Vagabonds is a record that featured some crossover tracks with New Religion – but the set here just features the exclusive cuts – including "I Feel Alright", "I Can't Get Back Home To My Baby", "Never Like This Before", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "You Showed Me The Way". Open Up Your Soul is a record with a really wonderful sound – the deeply soulful vocals of Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, mixed with rich arrangements handled by Nicky Welsh, and produced to perfection by Brit maestro John Schroeder! The record's got the sophistication of some of the Richard Evans productions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time – and, no surprise, the group lead off with a great cover of The Dells "Wear It On Our Face" – then roll into cuts that include "Cry Like A Baby", "Good Day Sunshine", "Four Walls", "Everybody Loves A Winner", "If You're Gonna Love Me", and "Open Up Your Soul". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Why", "Bumper To Bumper", "Close The Door", "Give Us A Light", "I Wanna Be your Everything", "Hungry For Love", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". CD

As warm and wonderful of a late 60s singer songwriter effort as we can imagine wanting to hear in the late 60s mainstream – so it's fitting that James Taylor was signed with the Beatles' Apple Records for this excellent self-titled album! Even Paul McCartney and George Harrison make a guest appearance! The lyrics chronicle a troubled soul, but man, did James ever making encroaching personal horrors sound sweet at his best. We think he's at his best here, and titles include "Don't Talk Now", "Knocking 'Round The Zoo", "Carolina In My Mind", "Night Owl", "Rainy Day Man", "The Blues Is Just A Bad Dream" and more. CD

A lost treasure from James Brown & The JBs – a vintage live performance from the early 70s, and one that captures the group at the height of their powers! The format here is very similar to the excellent Revolution Of The Mind set – a totally funky, totally righteous live performance that has James and the group even more energized than in the studio – working with the kind of razor-sharp intensity that made them a legendary funk act – leaping from tune to tune with nary a break at all! Bobby Byrd acts as the MC, and joins James for a bit of vocals – and the group at this point still includes Bootsy Collins on bass, plus loads of great guitar from Catfish Collins, and Fred Wesley on trombone and Jabo Starks on drums. Dave Matthews handled some of the arrangements – and titles include "Soul Power", "Sex Machine", "Bewildered", "It's A New Day", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Brother Rapp", "Super Bad", "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose", and "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag/I Got You/I Got The Feelin". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from James Brown – even if it wasn't issued during his classic run of funk records in the early 70s! Yet the material here is all from that time – recorded by Polydor when James and the JBs were completely kicking ass in the studio – turning out these monstrous longform funk jams that often gave up too much material to fit on all of his albums – which makes this package an overdue dip into the vaults to rescue some of those treasures! The package first saw the light of day in 1988 – at a time when the genius of James was being rediscovered by younger hip hoppers and DJs – and the set is a love letter to all that James had to offer that scene – with gems that include the lost soul classic "She's The One", a duet with Bobby Byrd called "Since You Been Gone", a live version of "There It Is", an untitled instrumental and another instrumental one called "Funk Bomb" – plus a huge long 9 minute version of the great "People Get Up & Drive Your Funky Soul" from Slaughter's Big Ripoff, and the cuts "Say It Loud & Live", and "Baby Here I Come". CD

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". CD

Singer Jose James has always had a classic vibe to his vocals – but that quality is maybe put forward even more here on this well-crafted Christmas album – a set that somehow manages to bridge the gap between classic Holiday records and the more contemporary work that James has given us on recent records! The focus here is very strongly on his voice – upfront and unadorned, and presented at a level that reminds us that James has been one of the freshest new singers in jazz over the past decade or so – working with help from Aaron Parks on piano, Ben Williams on bass, and Jaharis Yokely on drums – plus a few great solo spots from Marcus Strickland on tenor. Titles include the beautiful "Christmas In New York" – plus "My Favorite Things", "Christmas Day", "The Christmas Waltz", "This Christmas", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". CD

James Williams on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. Tracks include "Love Letters", "The Night We Called It A Day", Ray Brown's "Buhaina, Buhaina", plus three pieces by Williams including a tribute to one of our all time favorite pianists and former Blakey band member Bobby Timmons! CD

A record that's really out of time and place – a set that sounds nothing like most other material issued in 1980, and which also hardly shows any traces of the Louisiana roots of Will & James Ragar! Instead, the set's got this laidback style that's almost folk funk at times, especially the variant from the late 60s and early 70s – maybe a bit like the music of Alzo & Udine. Guitars are mostly acoustic, but warmed up in nicely smooth ways – not through commercial production, just by inflecting the proceedings with a knowledge of jazzier phrasing, which comes through in the vocals, piano, and occasional other instrumentation too. There's a warm, laidback approach to the record that's really beautiful – and titles include "As The Day Grows Tired", "My Shining Sun", "She's Laughter", "Melting Pot", "Needs", "Hidden Away", "Just A Wanderer", "Oregon", and "Parade". This reissue also adds in the bonus tracks "Forever" and "Bayou Paradise". CD

Two early 70s albums from Shirley Bassey – back to back in a single set! Never Never Never is a warmly-crafted 70s album from the great Shirley Bassey – a set that continues that great move she was making at the end of the 60s – shaking off some of the bolder, brassier styles that famously got her going at the start, but which were maybe sounding a bit dated after the James Bond soundtracks got too much play! Instead, Bassey's opening up in a nicely mature mode – maybe making the same sort of shift between soul and adult modes that Johnny Mathis was hitting during the same period – and working with great UK maestros Johnny Harris and Arthur Greenslade, both able to balance strings and soul on titles that include "Never Never Never", "Make The World A Little Younger", "No Regrets", "Going Going Gone", "Somehow", "I Won't Last A Day Without You", "The Old Fashioned Way", and "Someone Who Cares". On Good Bad But Beautiful, Shirley Bassey is at her mellow best – sounding very different than the brassy vocalist who first rose to international fame with "Goldfinger" – yet still able to work through all the rich aspects of her great vocal range! Arthur Greenslade handles the backings, and the style is mature, and updated in maybe the way that Frank Sinatra was hitting at the time – both in the choice of songs, and in the way that Greenslade sets Shirley up for the best reading of the lyric. Titles include "I'll Be Your Audience", "Emotion", "Good Bad But Beautiful", "Jesse", "Run On & On & On", "Feel Like Makin Love", and "I'll Be Your Audience". CD

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". CD

A musical gift from trumpeter Dave Douglas – working here in a quartet that features some fantastic work on tneor from James Brandon Lewis! Lewis is becoming a musician who's as fluid and adaptable as Douglas has been over his many years and many projects – and the pair explore some great sonic space in the company of guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang – both players who create the sort of unconventional setting that always makes Dave sound his best. Bhatia's got an especially great style – these colors that shift in shape and tone with slight edges, and a sense of pacing that's very unique – which, when coupled with the performances of Douglas and Lewis, makes for an album that might be one of the best Greenleaf releases in eyars. Titles include "Day Dream", "Blood Count", "Third Dream", "Small Bar", "Rain Check", and "Gifts". CD

The best collection we've ever seen of the work of funky soul legends Dyke & The Blazers – a double-length set that features full, unedited versions of their classics – plus a whopping batch of previously unreleased tunes! Dyke & The Blazers had a groove that was mighty solid back in the late 60s – a hard-vamping, tightly rhythmic groove that easily matched the best early funk of the time from Charles Wright, Sly Stone, or James Brown – and which was often served up with a rougher edge, and an overall sound that was a lot more dangerous! However, many of the group's singles really trimmed down their performances – shaving off key instrumental moments that are lovingly re-attached here, and combining them with some even rarer tracks that never saw the light of day back in the 60s. The whole thing's amazing – and the 2CD set features a whopping 33 tracks in all, split into one disc of material recorded in Phoenix, and one more of tracks from Hollywood! Titles include "Black Boy", "Stuff", "Moon", "Booga Jivin", "Runaway People", "Funky Broadway Time (parts 1 & 2)", "Swamp Walk", "Extra Funk", "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man", "Soul Cake", "She Knows It", "Let's Do It Together", "Bring It On Back", "Funky Walk (parts 1 & 2)", and "Triple Funk". CD

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! CD

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! CD

Skip plays both guitar and piano along with his vocals – and titles include "Special Rider Blues", "Crow Jane", "All Night Long", "Cypress Grove", "My Gal", and "Look Down The Road". CD

Harry James a long way from the swing years – and sounding pretty darn great overall! First up is the album Today – a hip 1960 swinger that features the trumpet of Harry James in front of some tight arrangements from Ernie Wilkins and Bob Florence, both talents who know how to update an older band sound strongly – with a leaner, cleaner groove than James ever got in the old days! Harry's solos are strong and bright, and he also gets some help from players who include Willie Smith on alto sax, Jack Perciful on piano, and Ray Sims on trombone. Titles include "Undecided", "End Of Town Blues", "King Porter Stomp", "Ensemble", "Jersey Bounce", and "Lester Leaps In". On Harry James Plays Neal Hefti, Hefti does a great job of updating Harry's older swing style – and the backings here have a solid 60s bounce that's a lot groovier than you ever might have expected from a James record a few decades back! There's a great sense of dynamism in the rhythms here – clearly the same groove that Hefti brought to Basie, but tilted slightly different here – with enough room for James to take the lead on his solos. Titles include "The Creeper", "Mister Johnson", "Tweet Tweet", "Koo Koo", "Rainbow Kiss", and "Hot Pink".. CD

Titles include "Bo Diddley", "Love The One You're With", "Let It Rock", "Jesse James", "Someday", and "Heavy Music". CD

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James Moody celebrates his 70th Birthday in a really wonderful setting – a soulful, easygoing set of work recorded with a tight little combo, and some all-star guests! The performance is from a live date at the Blue Note, with Bill Cosby acting as the MC at a few points – and Moody plays tenor and alto, with a combo that features Mulgrew Miller on piano, Tod Coolman on bass, and Terri Lynne Carrington on drums – plus help from guest musicians who include Roy Ayers on vibes, Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, Chris Potter on tenor, and Grover Washington Jr on soprano sax. The overall vibe is mostly boppish, a bit less complex and varied than some of Moody's other late albums – and titles include "The Eternal Triangle", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Benny's From Heaven", "Bebop", and "Groovin High". CD

An excellent bit of southern funk – very much in the early mode of Little Beaver, but with a sound that's even harder! James Knight is The Black Knight – leading a tight little combo with a raw funky 45 sound, heavy on the horns for backing, but with James' guitar right up front in the mix, jamming hard in a way that would have made Hendrix proud! The tracks are a mix of heavy funk numbers and more tripped-out jams – and Knight's vocals remind us a bit of Charles Wright in the old days, blaring out of the speakers with a bit of distortion and lots of soul, really driving home the quality of the songs. Titles include "Fantasy World", "Save Me", "Flyin High", "Funky Cat", "Uncle Joe", "Cotton Candy", and "Just My Love For You". CD

Yussef Dayes works here under a title that was first coined by Rahsaan Roland Kirk to refer to jazz – but Dayes takes the term to a whole new level with this groundbreaking set – really moving past jazz to unlock a whole field of soulful expression – served up an excellent group at the core, and key contributions from very hip guests throughout! Dayes has always been someone who defies expectations, but here he's going past just some sort of unconventionality to really make his own mark in music – letting an instrumental solo take center stage when needed, or working through vocals in another moment – but all with this effortless flow that really comes together over the course of the album! The group features Charlie Stacey on keyboards, Alexander Bourt on percussion, and Venna on tenor – and guests include Shabaka Hutchings, Leon Thomas, Miles James, Theon Cross, Chronixx, and others. Titles include "Early Dayes", "Afro Cubanism", "Black Classical Music", "Rust", "The Light", "Pon Di Plaza", "Marching Band", "Tioga Pass", "Cowrie Charms", "Crystal Palace", and "Presidential". CD

A monster – and quite possibly one of the greatest Fender Rhodes albums of all time! Bob James is really at the height of his powers here – stepping out with a sound that's a lot smoother than some of his earlier work, yet in a groove that's never too slick or too overproduced – as happened with some of his later records on the Tappan Zee imprint. Here, James is still a master of space and sound – using the Fender Rhodes with bell-like tones to craft some key grooves that are still having an amazing impact today, more than 30 years after the album was initially recorded! There's a darkness here that we totally love – and tracks include the legendary "Take Me To The Mardi Gras", which has been sampled by Run DMC and loads of others – plus"The Golden Apple", "I Feel A Song", "You're As Right As Rain", "Farandole", and "Dream Journey". Also features the bonus track "Here Let My Life" – and presented here with new liner notes! CD

Some of the most soulful sounds we've ever heard from tenorist James Brandon Lewis a reworking of themes from the music of Mahalia Jackson into jazz – all at a level that keeps all the spirit of the originals, while unlocking the songs as vehicles for freer improvisation! Given the mix of freedom and spirit here, there's almost a vibe that takes us back to the brilliance of Albert Ayler at the start – served up through the intertwining magic of Lewis' tenor, the cornet of Kirk Knuffke, cello of Chris Hoffman, bass of William Parker, and drums of Chad Taylor – all tremendous players, but resonating even more strongly in the presence of this project! James has been getting plenty of attention in recent years, but this could be the album that catapults him into the canon of contemporary jazz – thanks to amazing takes of "Elijah Rock", "Were You There", "Go Down Moses", "Precious Lord", "Deep River", "Wade In The Water", "Swing Low", and "Sparrow". 2CD edition features the full bonus album These Are Soulful Days – recorded by James Brandon Lewis with the Lutoslowski Quartet. CD

James Blood Ulmer on vocals and guitar, Vernon Reid on guitar, Leon Gruenbaum on Fender Rhodes, piano, organ, keyboards, mellotron, and clarinet, Charlie Burnham on electric fiddle and mandolin, David Barnes on harmonica, Mark Peterson on bass, and Aubrey Dayle on drums. CD

James Blood Ulmer on guitar and vocals, Amin Ali on electric bass, and Aubrey Dayle on drums. CD

The first great, label-spanning compilation of great 50s & 60s tracks by a variety of artists with some little in common in some cases, but share at least one unbreakable bond – they recorded these tracks with the incredible James Burton on guitar! It's got fiery, pivotal rockabilly Dale Hawkins and Bob Luman, pop takeover numbers by Ricky Nelson, rustic charisma from Lee Hazlewood, benchmark honky tonk from Merle Haggard, harmony country rock from Buffalo Springfield and much more – including numbers credited to James Burton himself and with Ralph Mooney. Includes "Susie-Q" by Dale Hawkins, "Red Hot" by Bob Luman, "Cannonball Rag" by James Burton, "Blood From A Stone" by Ricky Nelson, "A Child's Claim To Fame" by Buffalo Springfield, "Swamp Surfer" by Jimmy Dobro, "Someday, Someday" by The Shindogs, "Just For A While" by Carol Williams, "Tryin' To Be Someone" by David & Lee and more. CD

An overlooked gem from Rick James' classic early run for Motown – a set that maybe didn't chart as big as some of his other records for the label, but which stands strongly today as a well-crafted batch of mellow funky soul! James has a bit less of the bass-heavy riffs here than you'd expect – and instead, the record has kind of a laidback, almost dreamy feel at times – still upbeat, but with the kind of relaxed, glowing vibe you'd be more likely to find from Teena Marie around this point – a really nice contrast with the more familiar hit sounds you'd know from Rick! We actually really like these mellower groovers – which are almost like some of Johnny Watson's Caribbean-tinged grooves – and the production augments the tunes with a bit of sound effects, which really furthers the paradise garden feel of the tunes. Titles include "Mary Go Round", "Summer Love", "Big Time", "Don't Give Up On Love", "Getting It On In The Sunshine", and "Island Lady". CD features a previously unreleased demo of "Gypsy Girl", and a previously unreleased extended version of "Big Time". CD

With 27 tracks including "Hanky Panky", "Mirage", "Sam I Am", "Run, Run, Baby, Run", "Out Of The Blue", "One Two Three And I Fell", and "Sugar On Sunday". CD

2 slices of Peggy Lee – one classic pop, one adult contemporary! I'm A Woman was a landmark album in Peggy's career – one that featured some wonderful crossover hits that broke her into a whole new audience in the 60s – and which really helped cement Peggy's relationship with Capitol Records. Benny Carter and Dick Hazard arranged the set with a gentle bouncing swing – still jazzy enough to keep Peggy's sophisticated side in place, but buoyant enough to hit that syncopated groove that was helping singers like Sinatra and Sammy D find new chart success at the time. Titles include "The Alley Cat Song", "I'm Walkin", "Mack The Knife", "I'm A Woman", "One Note Samba", and "There Ain't No Sweet Man". Norma Deloris Egstrom is quite a different album altogether, but equally memorable – as Peggy's working here in that wonderful later style she used at Capitol – a truly adult approach to pop that was less concerned with chart placement than it was with getting over a more sophisticated level of expression. Peggy turned out to be wonderfully well suited for this mode – a deeply emotive singer by this point, capable of bringing a deeper sense of life into younger tunes of the time, fleshing them out with the newer freedoms of the time, yet without going overboard. There's almost a Robert Altman sense of poise and adult grace to these tunes – arranged by Artie Butler with a careful simplicity, and sung by Peggy with some of the truest emotion of her days on record. Titles include "Love Song", "Razor", "When I Found You", "A Song For You", "It Takes Too Long To Learn To Live Alone", "Someone Who Cares", and "Just For A Thrill". CD

A strongly soul-based set from Jose James – and a record that really pushes forward the amazing journey in music he's given us over his killer albums of the past decade or two! Jose already has a voice that's tremendous – but here he opens up his production skills as well, and has this way of blending together elements from soul, Brazilian music, and other global sources – but all with a majestic focus that's maybe even more powerful given how easy and organic his vocals sound! In a world of TV-trained younger singers who always try way too hard to show you how they can sound soulful, Jose James is still such a wonderful relief – demonstrated here on titles that include "Black Orpheus", "Dark Side Of The Sun", "Isis & Osiris", "Let's Get It", "Saturday Night", "38th & Chicago", and "Place Of Worship" – which features a great guest appearance from Brazilian singer Xenia Franca. CD

Last Train From Overbrook, a wonderful album from Moody – one of his "comeback" albums for Chess/Argo, recorded after his release from the Overbrook institution, hence the title. By this point, Moody was writing and playing with much more of an edge than during his bebop days – and the record certainly shows that – not only on the title track "Last Train From Overbrook", a jumpy little number that became one of the big new tunes in Moody's book, but on the whole album, which features some well-conceived large charts written by Johnny Pate. Pate and Moody wrote the bulk of the songs, too – and titles include "Yvonne", "Brother Yusef", "The Moody One", "There She Goes", "Tico Tico", and "Why Don't You". Flute N The Blues is one of James Moody's first albums for Argo – and an album that features him shifting from tenor sax over to flute – and playing in a slyly seductive way that would have great implications for generations of soul jazz musicians for years to come! The sound here is never sleepy – and instead shows the flute to be a perfect vehicle for creating more sensitive colors and tones in jazz – in a way that's also offset by a bit of work on alto and tenor on the album as well. The group features some excellent work from trumpeter Johnny Coles and baritonist Pee Wee Moore – plus some sparkling arrangements from pianist Jimmy Boyd – and Eddie Jefferson joins in on 3 great vocal numbers. Titles include "Birdland Story", "I Cover The Waterfront", "Breaking The Blues", "Easy Living", "Richard's Blues", and "Boo's Tune". 20 tracks in all. CD

Obscure Holiday work from James Brown – not the oft-compiled tracks from his late 60s years at King Records, but some later numbers that show that Brown could still turn out one heck of a Christmas tune! James' vocals are at their older best – still surprisingly powerful, and able to serve up a seasonal message with a lot more soul than just about anyone else we can think of – and even when the backings are a bit contemporary, the tunes take on a more classic soul feel once the Godfather comes into the mix! Titles include "God Gave Me This", "Reindeer On The Rooftop", "Funky Christmas", "Clean For Christmas", "Mom & Dad", "Not Just Another Holiday", and "Christmas Is For Everyone". CD

One of the few rare Christmas albums that James Brown recorded in the 60s – all really wonderful, really memorable records that go way past the usual Holiday fare! Sure, there's a few sentimental tracks that have the familiar spirit of the holiday, but there's also some funky moments too – and almost all the cuts are originals that are handled in the best early James Brown/King Records mode! Titles include the great instrumental "Signs of Christmas" – plus "This is My Lonely Christmas", "Sweet Little Baby Boy (parts 1 & 2)", "Merry Christmas I Love You", and "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year" – one of the most heartfelt Christmas tunes of the 60s! CD

Excellent funky Christmas – essential for any soulful holiday celebration! Not everyone knows it, but James Brown cut a fair number of Christmas albums during the 60s – thre albums, and a bunch of singles to be exact! They're all super-rare, but this great collection brings together some of the best material from those years – and nearly all the tracks are originals, with a quality level that's just as great as James' non-Christmas recordings! No kidding, The Godfather put his heart and soul into these recordings – and the stuff on here's great if you dig his King albums and singles from the late 60s, you'll find plenty to love here too. Titles include "Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas", "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay", "Hey America", "Soulful Christmas", "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year (parts 1 & 2)", "Go Power At Christmas Time", and the perennial favorite "Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto". 17 cuts in all – and a really great collection. CD