One of THE classic double live albums of the 70s – with titles that include "Black Diamond", "Watching You", "Deuce", "Strutter", "Hotter Than Hell", "Got To Choose", "Firehouse", "Nothin To Lose", "She", "Parasite", "Rock N Roll All Nite", "Let Me Go Rock N Roll", and "Rock Bottom". CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features work from Bobby Watson on alto, Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Steve Turre on trombone, and Jeff Hamilton on tenor! CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Great work from a later chapter of the Great Jazz Trio of pianist Hank Jones – a time when the group had shifted to include Mads Vinding on bass and Billy Hart on drums – a rhythm duo who really make a difference in the sound! Hank is still wonderful on piano – able to mix round, warm tones with a nice sort of punch on the left hand – but the presence of Vinding brings an especially strong quality to the date – that really tuneful approach to basswork that's always made Mats such an essential part of any trio, and way more than just a timekeeper. Hart seems to really recognize this, and is very open with his own work too – sometimes just letting Jones and Vinding interact, then coming in to punctuate things in just the right way. Titles include "Prelude To A Kiss", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "The Summer Knows", "When You Wish Upon A Star", "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing", and "The Man I Love". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Classic! Although folks had been saying for years that Prince was funky, "Kiss" was the first tune to really have him going to town on the instruments – in a way that we always expect from a true funk act, but not so much for the pop charts – reason alone to adore this one! The track snaps along with an intensity that makes it an instant classic groover – and flip side "Love Or Money" is a pretty nice track too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Side one features a nice "Symphonic Portrait Of Duke Ellington" – and side two features smaller group readings of titles that include "Caravan", "Solitude", and "Black & Tan Fantasy". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Was there a bigger dancefloor track than this at the end of the 80s? We'd be hard pressed to think so – as Louis' uniquely grooved slow/then fast/then slow/then slower style really made the track an instant classic – loved by house fans and chart kids alike, and still actually monumentally striking today! 12-inch, Vinyl record

What a great tune! Although folks had been saying for years that Prince was funky, "Kiss" was the first tune to really have him going to town on the instruments – in a way that we always expect from a true funk act. The track snaps along with an intensity that makes it an instant groover! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

A fantastic collection of work from those years when singer Ann-Margret first popped up on the American market – young, fresh, and sexy – and willing to do whatever it took to make her music stand out from the pack! Ann-Margret's got a vocal range that's maybe deeper than most of her contemporaries – a lusty growl that makes you feel like she's singing from way down in her toes – with odd bluesy currents mixed with jazzier backings – all in a mode that has really blows away the sultry tones of previous singers like Peggy Lee or Julie London. This 30 track package is a very well-chosen array of tunes from the early RCA years – and includes lots of solo numbers, plus work with Elvis Presley and Al Hirt – on titles that include "Man's Favorite Sport", "Next Time", "Madrid/The Pleasure Seekers", "Mack The Knife", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "Teach Me Tonight", "The Lady Loves Me", "You're The Boss", "Mr Wonderful", "That Old Black Magic", "Everything Makes Music When You're In Love", "Let Me Entertain You", "Take All The Kisses", "Something To Think About", and "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". CD

Haunting stuff – and one of June Christy's darkest albums! June's singing here with her old boss, Stan Kenton, at the piano – no other real backing, just the pair of them working together in a session that's uniquely stripped down for the time. June's vocals are frail and tender – with even more sadness than in some of her more fully arranged sessions, all of which we love to death. Titles include "Come To The Party", "Angel Eyes", "Lonely Woman", "Every Time We Say Goodbye", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "We Kiss In A Shadow", and "You're Mine You". LP, Vinyl record album

Early 80s genius from Dalek I – aka Dalek I Love You – one of the leading lights of the Liverpool scene at the start of the decade – and a duo with almost as much dark electronics as some of their contemporaries in other North England cities! There's a slight tunefulness to most tunes, but the sound is still really stripped down and quite far from commercial – almost a blueprint for 80s pop, turned in as a rough sketch – which makes for plenty of charming elements, and an almost home-grown feel to the overall record – even when things are still pretty darn catchy! Loads of great analogue keyboards – and titles include "The Kiss", "Trapped", "A Suicide", "8 Track", "Destiny", "Freedom Fighters", "Mad", "We're All Actors", and "Missing 15 Minutes". LP, Vinyl record album

Dreamy vocals from Matt Dennis – a set of Rodgers & Hart numbers, performed in a sweetly swaying style that has plenty of warm touches. Unlike some of Matt's smaller combo records, this set's got larger backings from the orchestra of Harry Geller – using some light strings and woodwinds to give the set a darker sort of finish that works nicely with Matt's fragile vocals. The approach is unique for a male singer at the time – fitting, given that Matt's such a uniquely talented vocalist! Titles include "Have You Met Miss Jones", "This Funny World", "Give Her A Kiss", "Mimi", "Nobody's Heart", and "I Married An Angel". CD

Mookish bombast from The Dictactors – heavy rock, fist clenching anthems, poker-faced parodies of love songs and keyboard peppered songs about a body covered in scabs. No sir, there will never be another Dictators! These guys should have been on kid's lunchboxes and Kiss should been dropped by their labels and consigned to cult infamy, that's what we think. Includes the world's first heavy metal cover of Iggy & The Stooges "Search & Destroy" that we know of, plus "Exposed", "Heartache", "Science Gone Too Far!", "Sleepin With The TV On", "Hey Boys" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique record from Peven Everett – very different than most of his other work, but equally great! The "My Brazil" reference in the title hints at the style of the work – a bossa-inspired session that has Peven singing gently and soulfully, with mostly just acoustic guitar and percussion to back him up. The sound is incredible – kind of a cross between Joao Gilberto and D'Angelo – with a mellow, laidback style that's immediately infectious. The CD's only got 5 tracks – priced nice and cheap – but every track's a winner, and the album's a pure expression of genius from one of the richest living artists we stock! Titles include "Colored Culture", "Brazilian Lovers", "Innocense", "One Kiss", and "The One I Want". CD

Ella gets some great jazzy backings from Marty Paich – on titles that include "Little White Lies", "You Hit The Spot", "Little Jazz", "720 In the Books", "Knock Me A Kiss", and "My Kinda Love". CD

One of the only full LPs of work that was ever issued by the Flamingos on Chess – a collection of older singles, presented here in a later edition with a different cover and some bonus tracks! Tracks include "Would I Be Crying", "Whispering Stars", "The Vow", "A Kiss From Your Lips", "Chickie Um Bah", "Dream Of A Lifetime", and "Chick A Boom That's My Baby". Bonus tracks include the previously unissued "If I Could Love You", "I Really Don't Want To Know", and "I Found A New Baby" – plus an alternate take of "Dream Of A Lifetime". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning funk from the great Dizzy Gillespie – light years away from his early bop recordings! The album's a slammin batch of 70s instrumentals – Dizzy's trumpet firmly in the lead over electric backings that have more than a bit of funk in them. The bass is the main driving factor of the tunes – played either by Phil Upchurch or Chuck Rainey – and the tracks bounce along with a fierce and righteous groove that also includes hard riffing on guitar and some sweet piano lines. Players include Mike Longo, James Moody, and Bernard Purdie – and tracks include "N'Bani", "Matrix", "Soul Kiss", "Ding A Ling", and "Alligator". Great stuff, and a crucial album in Dizzy's lost career! Damn funky, too. LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring batch of rare tracks from the early years of Hawkwind – unissued titles and unusual versions – all of which stand strongly next to the work on their classic albums from the time! Titles include "Be Yourself (alt mix)", "Hog Farm", "Seven By Seven (alt voc mix)", "Kiss Of The Velvet Whip (1971 version)", "The Reason Is (alt version)", "You Know You're Only Dreaming (1970 version)", "Brainbox Pollutions (full length version)", "Take What You Can", "It's So Easy (orig studio version)", "Wind Of Change (alt version)", and "You'd Better Believe It (Rockfield Studios version)". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a reference to the double-length nature of the set – but it might also be taken as a reference to the group's sound, too – as Heron's got a slightly fuller approach than on their debut album! There's more electric instrumentation in the mix, and arrangements that have the band stepping out more strongly with some rockish inflections, even though the overall approach is still pretty darn folksy – and handled with that really unique, really personal style that makes the group one of the best of the Brit folk scene from the period. Titles include "Madman", "John Brown", "Miss Kiss", "Love 13", "Winter Harlequin", and "Big A". CD

5 late albums from Billie Holiday – all collected in one sweet set, in tiny LP-styled sleeves, too! First up is Solitude – classic Billie Holiday for Verve – sad, blue-tinged, and recorded with great small combo backing – in a mode that really updates the sound of her initial recordings while still keeping the best elements intact! Players include Oscar Peterson, Alvin Stoller, Barney Kessell, and Ray Brown on the core group – plus bits of added solo work from Flip Phillips on tenor and Charlie Shavers on trumpet. Titles include "Solitude", "Moonglow", "Tenderly", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "East Of The Sun", "You Turned The Tables On Me", and "Easy To Love". Recital is not really a recital in the "live" sense, in that the album's a studio session – but a great batch of classic Verve sides by Billie Holiday! The care and quality of the record definitely demonstrate that the Verve years are some of Holiday's best – and for the session, Norman Granz has backed up Billie with a great batch of musicians – including Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Flip Philips on tenor, Barney Kessel on guitar, and Oscar Peterson on piano. Tracks include "Remember", "Yesterdays", "He's Funny That Way", "Stormy Weather", "My Man", and "Lover Come Back To Me" – and the cover has a portrait of Billie by David Stone Martin! Velvet Mood is a record with a velvet mood, but one with a bit of an edge – as you might expect from Billie Holiday in the 50s, hardly the stuff of a too-soft vocal date! The album's got Holiday working in wonderful small combo mode – getting some key Verve backup from players who include Sweets Edison on trumept, Benny Carter on alto sax, Barney Kessel on guitar, and Jimmy Rowles on piano – a warmly intimate group who really fit the sad-tinged vocals from Billie. Tracks are longish – maybe a bit more so than usual for a Holiday Verve session – and the set list includes beautiful renditions of "What's New", "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "When Your Lover Has Gone". Next is Lady Sings The Blues – possibly one of the most essential Billie Holiday albums for Verve – a set that carries the same title as her famous autobiography, and which also features many key numbers from her songbook at the time! The feel here is quite easygoing and relaxed – with small group backing behind Billie's vocals, which themselves are recorded cleanly and clearly throughout. One side features backing by a combo that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, and Paul Quinichette on tenor – and the other features a group that includes Bobby Tucker on piano, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar, and the great Willie Smith on alto sax. Titles include plenty of classics – including "God Bless The Child", "Strange Fruit", "Lady Sings The Blues", "No Good Man", "Good Morning Heartache", "I Must Have That Man", and "Trav'lin' Light". All Or Nothing At All is beautiful Billie from the last years of her life. The material was recorded in 1956 and 1957 in Hollywood, featuring Barney Kessel, Ben Wesbster, Harry Edison, and Jimmy Rowles – all grooving nicely in small group formation. The tracks have a wonderfully fragile quality – and although standards, are still some of Billie's nicest work for Verve. Titles include "April In Paris", "All Or Nothing At All", "We'll Be Together Again", and "But Not For Me". Great David Stone Martin cover, too! CD

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but one that still shows a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that Hyman did with Norman Connors, and not nearly as much in a disco mode as it might be, given the time of the release. And although many of the tracks are somewhat upbeat, they've got a bit more complication in the rhythms than conventional club – thanks to the presence of jazz players who include Herbie Hancock, Monty Alexander, Azar Lawrence, and others. The best production on the record is by T Life, and the team of Skip Scarborough and Larry Alexander – and titles include "Kiss You All Over", "Living Inside Your Love", "Soon Come Again", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Lookin For A Lovin", and "Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 60s Impressions material, with the legendary lineup firmly in place, and the great Johnny Pate handling all arrangements – really giving them that sense of righteous power that pushed their music past a lot of the previous group soul sounds of the Chicago scene – with a sophistication in both the instrumentation and harmonies that's completely sublime! The album mixes Curtis Mayfield compositions – like "Lonely Man", "Just One Kiss From You", "Falling In Love With You" – with special Impressions' takes on tunes that include "My Prayer", "Without A Song", "Answer Me, My Love", "I Want To Be With You", and "Nature Boy", which the group does incredibly well. Proof that the Impressions could shine, whatever the setting! LP, Vinyl record album

2 classic albums from the ABC Records years of The Impressions – back to back on a single CD! One By One is classic 60s Impressions material, with the legendary lineup firmly in place, and the great Johnny Pate handling all arrangements – really giving them that sense of righteous power that pushed their music past a lot of the previous group soul sounds of the Chicago scene – with a sophistication in both the instrumentation and harmonies that's completely sublime! The album mixes Curtis Mayfield compositions – like "Lonely Man", "Just One Kiss From You", "Falling In Love With You" – with special Impressions' takes on tunes that include "My Prayer", "Without A Song", "Answer Me, My Love", "I Want To Be With You", and "Nature Boy", which the group does incredibly well. Proof that the Impressions could shine, whatever the setting! Riding High is a record in which the title and cover say it all – because The Impressions are at the top of their game – riding high on a tremendous wave of soul, and soaring forth with a sense of pride and power few other groups could match! Maestro Johnny Pate is on board to handle the arrangements and production – and he helps Curtis Mayfield and the group reach a sound that's sophisticated throughout, but still retains a deeply personal sensibility. The harmonies are tremendous – never too sweet or too smooth, and always with that slightly fragile quality that made The Impressions one of the most human soul groups of their era. Nearly all the tunes are originals from Curtis – and titles include "Riding High", "Too Slow", "Man's Temptation", "I'm A Telling You", and "I Need To Belong To Someone". CD

This may not be Milt Jackson's purest album – but oh how we love it! Milt's working here more in a Verve pop jazz mode than a highbrow third stream one – with bossa backings on about half the album, and good small combo work on the rest. The first half features Jimmy Heath on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – all grooving nicely next to Milt's vibes on tracks like "Blues For Juanita", "Gingerbread Boy", and "Big George". The real charmer, though, is the second half – which has Milt playing with the same group, minus Flanagan, plus 2 guitarists for that bossa sound. Lillian Clark sings vocals on 2 cuts – "Jazz N Samba" and "Kiss & Run" – and the side also features the great groover "Jazz Bossa Nova", and the incredible "The Oo-Oo Bossa Nova", which features Joe E Ross from Car 54 going "Oo Oo!" on the breakdowns! CD

A stunning example of the way that the harmony trio had developed in late 60s Jamaica – a short but fantastic evolution of a mode that began in American soul, yet quickly expanded into something else entirely during the rocksteady years – to the point where it became the global calling card of a group like The Wailers! Yet despite the big fame of that group, there were many others working in Kingston who were equally wonderful – case in point is The Kingstonians, a wonderful trio with a very rich vibe – honed to perfection here with the production talents of Derrick Harriott, who makes the record as powerful a statement as any coming from the scene at the start of the 70s. This is the kind of music that should have been passed upwards along the same chain as Bob Marley, but which sadly never fully got its due – which makes it ripe for rediscovery, on titles that include "Hold Down", "Singer Man", "Sufferer", "Nice Nice", "Come We Go Moonwalk", "The Clip", "Rumble Rumble", and "Winey Winey". CD features lots of bonus tracks, most of them instrumental – 12 more tracks that include "Kiss A Little Finger", "Undertaker's Burial", "Splash down", "Sic Him Rover", "The Bad", "Musical Madness", "Rumble (version 2)", "Out There", and "Right From Wrong". CD

Great double album live set with Roland leading a tight group through a long and varied set of material, all of which showcases the odd goofy sound of his music, and his offbeat approach to more familiar tracks. He talks a bit, makes the odd joke about being blind, and never ceases to amaze with his playing. A bit of vocals too, but sung in such a heartfelt way that you've gotta love 'em! Tracks include "Pedal Up", "Clickey Clack", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Bright Moments Song", "If I Loved You", and "Jitterbug waltz". CD

A bit one for Patti Labelle in the 80s – a set that crossed over big at the time, but which still has the lady in very soulful territory! Patti seems to sparkle most here on the mellower cuts – the gentle groovers and laidback ballads that helped open her up to a whole new audience, and which really give her a different sound than her 70s Labelle years. Titles include the Bacharach/Carol Bayer Sager title "On My Own" – sung as a duet with Michael McDonald – plus "Oh People", "There's A Winner In You", "Finally We're Back Together", "Beat My Heart Like A Drum", "Kiss Away The Pain", "Something Special", and "You're Mine Tonight". CD

The nicely fleshed out, 2LP version of the debut EP by Laughing Hyenas – some of the fiercest underground rock ever to come out of the state of Michigan! Even at this early point, there's a brooding, postpunk bluesy vibe at times, but the most fiery quality here is John Brannon's vocals – a seriously throat-shredding instrument that makes even the moodier tracks pretty incendiary. The band makes one hell of a caterwauling roar at their most intense, but they're capable of a moodier sound, too, even at this early point. Includes "Stain", "Hell's Kitchen", "That Girl", "Gabriel", "Play Ground", "What Tomorrow Brings", "Soul Kiss". "Candy", "Dedications To The One I Love", "Don't Bouge My High" and "Public Animal #9". LP, Vinyl record album