An expanded version of Hugo Friedhofer's score for One Eyed Jacks – a compelling soundtrack for one of the more ill-fated westerns of the 50s! Friedhofer really moves beyond familiar stereotypes here – using offbeat orchestrations, often heavy on woodwinds and solo instrumentation, to create a nice sense of place and space – almost exotic at points, then underscored by bolder dramatic themes that build as the soundtrack unfolds. There's almost as much drama in the music as you'll find on the screen – and titles include "Seduction", "Contrition", "Toast To Friendship", "Kiss Of A Scoundrel/Pursued By Rurales", and "Finale". CD features a full bonus disc – a second CD with 27 more tracks from the original score, as well as alternates of the main themes on the first disc! CD

Tremendous work from the great Bobby Fuller – not the early Texas tapes that have recently been the stuff of much interest on the market – but instead the well-crafted singles he cut in Los Angeles – working at the Mustang label with pop maestro Bob Keane! These tunes are still plenty raw, and the fierce, raspy tone of Fuller's guitar is very much upfront in the mix – hugely powerful, even when there's no other element stepping forth in the lead – and still pretty important, even when the group starts adding some vocals! The package presents all the Mustang singles in rare mono mixes for the first time together in one place – and a number of the tracks here are actually different recordings than the better-known stereo tracks, supported with the kind of great notes and high sound quality we always love from the Now Sounds label – and the set includes a few related tracks by Jay Horton and the Randy Fuller Four. Titles include "These Memories Of You", "Our Favorite Martian", "Wolfman", "Let Her Dance", "Thunder Reef", "I Fought The Law", "Love's Made A Fool Of You", "My True Love", "I Trip On You Girl", "Little Annie Lou", "You Kiss Me", "Never To Be Forgotten", "The Things You Do", and "Don't Ever Let Me Know". CD

A nicely spare session from this bop legend – just Al Haig on piano, and Jamil Nasser on bass – on titles that include "Star Eyes", "Warm Valley", "Passion Flower"," Milestones", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "All The Things You Are". CD

A beautiful album of dark-hued vocals – sung by Johnny Hartman with a quality that's as smokey as the image of him with a cigarette on the cover! The album set a whole new standard for male vocal jazz in the 60s – and is a distillation and refinement of earlier ideas in music by Billy Eckstine, taken down to more personal and fluid levels by Hartman – and recorded here with great small group baking that includes Illinois Jacquet on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The vibe is very mellow, but never sloppy or sleepy – and titles include "Charade", "In The Wee Small Hours", "Stairway To the Stars", "Kiss & Run", "Our Time", "Don't You Know I Care", "If I'm Lucky", and "Don't Call It Love". CD

A beautiful album of dark-hued vocals – sung by Johnny Hartman with a quality that's as smokey as the image of him with a cigarette on the cover! The album set a whole new standard for male vocal jazz in the 60s – and is a distillation and refinement of earlier ideas in music by Billy Eckstine, taken down to more personal and fluid levels by Hartman – and recorded here with great small group baking that includes Illinois Jacquet on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The vibe is very mellow, but never sloppy or sleepy – and titles include "Charade", "In The Wee Small Hours", "Stairway To the Stars", "Kiss & Run", "Our Time", "Don't You Know I Care", "If I'm Lucky", and "Don't Call It Love". CD

Titles include "Foolin' Myself", "My Day", "A Sailboat In The Moonlight", "Jeep's Blues", "Love In Swingtime", "Prelude To A Kiss", "The Jeep Is Jumpin", and "Pyramid" – 21 tracks total. CD

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". CD

Includes the songs "Jubilee Stomp", "Drop Me Off At Harlem", "The Clothed Woman", "Sophisticated Lady", "Doin' The Voom Voom", "On A Turquoise Cloud", "All Too Soon", "Tonk", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "Echoes Of Harlem", "Prelude To A Kiss", "The Gal From Joe's", "Day Dream", and "Come Sunday". CD

Ahmad Jamal on piano, Ephraim Wolfolk on bass, and Arti Dixson drums. Tracks include "Prelude To A Kiss", "I Got It Bad", "My Flower", "Chelsea Bridge" and "Never Let Me Go". 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

A surprising 90s set from The Jazz Passengers – the New York group who'd worked in many modes other than just the straight jazz you might guess from their name, but who here maybe take things back to basics, especially on some of the cuts that bring in vocals from famous guests who include Deborah Harry and Elvis Costello! In some ways, Harry is the core of the set – as she unlocks this great jazz-based side of her style, in a way that gives her voice a whole new level of expression – one that's surprisingly strong next to the instrumentation provided by Roy Nathanson, Curis Fowlkes, and the rest of the group. Elvis Costello sings moodily on the tune "Aubergine" – but most other vocal numbers feature Deborah Harry, and include "Pork Chop", "Lil Darlin", "Maybe I'm Lost", "Imitation Of A Kiss", "Ole", and "Angel Eyes". Harry and Costello duet on "Doncha Go Way Mad" – and the set also features a nice instrumental remake of the Nat Adderley tune "Jive Samba". CD

A full set of Louis Jordan's excellent work for Mercury Records in the mid 50s – material that often reworks his older songs, but with a lean, mean vibe that's got a lot more early rock and R&B touches! The instrumentation is razor-sharp – often with searing sax solos from the man himself, and a groove that has all the other players hitting hard on the rhythms – romping in a way that definitely lives up to the rock and roll of the title, but with a quality that reminds us that Jordan was one of the originators, and not just some older talent trying to cash in on the new scene! CD features 21 tracks in all – and titles include "Run Joe", "Salt Pork West Virginia", "Beware Brother Beware", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", "The Jamp", "Ella Mae", "Saturday Night Fish Fry", and "Morning Light". CD

A wonderfully laidback album from Barney Kessel – gentle guitar stepping around familiar standards, but all with a hip sort of west coast 50s flavor! The main group on the album features Bob Cooper on oboe and tenor, Claude Williamson on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – but a few extra tunes, added to expand the full LP from the original 10" session, feature Hampton Hawes on piano and Red Mitchell on bass – plus the rest of the other group. Titles include "Speak Low", "Love Is Here To Stay", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "On A Slow Boat To China", "Barney's Blues", "A Foggy Day", "Prelude To A Kiss" and "64 Bars On Wilshire" – obviously not a standard! CD

Arrangements by Torrie Zito, and titles include "All Blues", "Easy Living", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Bluesette", and "A Taste Of Honey". 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 large group session arranged and conducted by Gunther Schuller. Tracks include "Angel Eyes", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Crepuscle With Nellie", "and "Rush Hour On 23rd Street". CD

Philly soul classics from The Manhattans – the mid 70s self-titled gem and After Midnight from the dawn of the 80s! The Manhattans album is one of their best of the 70s, and a record that showed that they were firmly out of the indie ghetto, and totally on top of their game! The record features arrangements and production by Bobby Martin and Bert DeCoteaux – bubbling along in that soaring style that you'd recognize best from Philly International albums of the time, but which also has some nice traces of the mellower ballad work that first put the group on the map. Every tune is perfect – the kind of sublime soul that easily explains why a record like this could be found in every single record collection of every single soul listener of the time – and titles include "La La La Wish Upon A Star", "We'll Have Forever To Love", "Take It Or Leave It", "Reasons", "Wonderful World Of Love", "Searching For Love", and the incredible "Kiss & Say Goodbye". Several bonus tracks, too! After Midnight is stellar Manhattans from the start of the 80s – and proof that the group could still hold strong, even at a point when soul music was really changing up around them! The sound is somewhat smoother than before, but never in a throwaway style – and as you might guess from the title, the record's a mostly-mellow affair that really hones in on the great ballad style that the group had perfected during their time at Columbia! The vocals are superb – not nearly as fragile as in the early days, but really still filled with a great sense of warmth and humanity – the group really maturing into a special space of their own. Arrangements are by James Mack, Benjamin Wright, Bert DeCoteux, and others – and titles include the hit "Shining Star", plus "It's Not The Same", "Just As Long As I Have You", "If My Heart Could Speak", "One Life To Life", "The Closer You Are", and "Girl Of My Dream". CD

A super-huge set from The Motels – and a record that still has the group holding onto a lot of credibility at a time when so much mainstream pop was really skewing towards the thin side of the spectrum! The vocals of Martha Davis are a big part of the album's success – as they've got this subtle sense of drama learned from the new role of female singers in the wake of punk rock, but tuned towards material that was maybe a bit more able to cross over on the charts – thanks to well-crafted guitar licks that underscore the best part of the lyrics. The approach is a nice balance – definitely less dated and a lot less cloying than some of Davis' contemporaries – on titles that include the hit "Only The Lonely", plus "Mission Of Mercy", "Take The L", "Change My Mind", "Art Fails", "So LA", "Apocalypso", "Forever Mine", and a remake of "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)". CD

Bill Charlap on piano, Jay Leonhart on bass, and Bill Stewart on drums – performing an all-Ellington program that includes "Jump For Joy", "In A Sentimental Mood", "C Jam Blues", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "Love You Madly". CD

2 albums on 1 CD – and a package that not only features great work from leader Lennie Neihaus, but also some great tenor from Bill Perkins too! On the first album Lennie swings, but he keeps it cool too – as this rare Mercury set steps off of the same octet energy Niehaus brought to his better-known sides for Contemporary in the mid 50s! The players here are a bit lesser known than some of Niehaus' other all-star groups – with Ken Shroyer on trombone, Ed Leddy on trumpet, and Steve Perlow on baritone – alongside some nicely searing tenor from Bill Perkins, whose presence always makes a set like this sparkle! Lou Levy plays piano and Red Kelly is on bass – and titles include "Soon", "Little Girl Blues", "P & L", "Four Eleven West", "He Ain't Got Rhythm", "Kiss Me & Kill Me With Love", and "I See Your Face Before Me". The second half of the CD drops out Lennie Niehaus entirely, and features the album Bill Perkins Live On Stage – originally recorded for Pacific Jazz in 1956, and featuring Niehaus arrangements on 2 tracks. The group includes Perkins on tenor, Bud Shank on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, Stu Williamson on trumpet, Carl Fontana on trombone, Russ Freeman on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. The live setting takes nothing away from the perfection of the group's conception, as Perkins' leadership is impeccable, bringing together the horns in a beautiful wash of sound. Titles include "Let Me See", "Zing Zang", "For Dancers Only", "One Hundred Years From Today", "Song Of The Islands", and "As They Reveled". CD

Great lean grooves from vibist Red Norvo – exactly the kind or record that shows why he was such an amazing talent on his instrument in the 50s! The album has Red working without piano or drums – just the guitar of Jimmy Raney and bass of Red Mitchell – both players who are hipper than the usual cats to handle their instruments too, especially Raney, whose sharp tone is a great match for Norvo's vibes. Red's vibes are way up front on most of the tracks, but leave plenty of space for the other players to shine, especially Raney's guitar work on "J9 Hate K9" and "Out Of Nowhere". Other tracks include "Crazy Rhythm", "Puby La Keg", "Just One Of Those Things", "Everything I've Got", and "Prelude To A Kiss". CD

A nice little record that's very much along the lines of the duet sessions that pianist Horace Parlan cut with Archie Shepp – done with a similar open, soulful style that really brings a lot of personal energy to these tunes penned by Duke Ellington! This might be the first time we've ever heard tenorist Joe Van Enkhuizen, but he's a surprisingly great player – and one who carves out these raspy lines on his instrument that fit really well with the well-crafted lines from Parlan's piano – a lot more subtle and spacious than during his Blue Note years, but maybe even more powerful because of that. Titles include "Serenade To Sweden", "I Got It Bad", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Melancholy", "Sophisticated Lady", and "Creole Blues/Tonight I Shall Sleep". CD

Rare late 60s psychedelia from blue collar Rockford, Il – a totally great lost album of pop psych tunefulness from Pisces – who had an incredible knack for experimental sounds that weave in and out of the hallucinatory pop structure! The group centered around core players Jim Krein and Paul DiVenti, and a number of the tunes have fragile, beautiful lead vocals by Linda Bruner, bringing in a bit of Velvets style stark, haunting loveliness – and most of the tracks languished unreleased all this time! This is essentially the first real release of almost all of the tunes, and the best shot at finding an adventurous audience any of it has ever had! We think this stuff would have been hugely influential had it found an audience in its time, hell, it sounds to us like it actually did influence countless groups, even though that's hardly even possible! There's a tunefulness at the center that bears the fruits of the experimental pop sounds that came from benchmark scenes of the era, from Haight Ashbury to Abbey Road – but the found sound ephemera, tape manipulations, and tripped out atmospherics really bring in some far out vibes! An essential discovery from Numero that's as exciting, insistently groovy and eclectic as any of the rock oriented stuff they've dug up to date! Titles include "Dear One", "Children Kiss Your Mother Goodnight", "Motley Mary Ann", "Say Goodbye To John", "The Music Box", "Like A Hole In The Wall Where The Rat Lives", "Elephant Eyes", "Circle Of Time" and more – plus the "extended play" bonus tracks "A Flower For All Seasons" and "In The Summer A Grape Grows". CD

A seminal punk-funk classic from the end of the 70s – one that's as brilliantly abrasive and brashly fresh today as it was when it was released! The group are working here in equal parts dub, funk, and lots of scratchy guitars and heady bass – with a style that would later be picked up more strongly by On-U in the 80s, but which is executed here with a much clearer vision that's free of any of the cliches that would later overcome the genre. Even the politics are surprisingly pointed – and Paul Stewart's vocalizations of most of the tunes is really dead on the money! Titles include "Thief Of Fire", "Snowgirl", "Blood Money", "We Are Time", "Don't Sell Your Dreams", "Words Disobey Me", and "Don't Call Me Pain". CD2 features lots of bonus tracks – some from an unreleased album – including "She Is Beyond Good & Evil", "Kiss The Book", "Thief Of Fire (bass addict)", "Words Disobey Me (Dennis the Menace mix)", "Don't Sell Your Dreams (a mix)", "3:38", "Boys From Brazil (ridge reels)", and "Blood Money (slow thief)". CD3 is Y Live – an unreleased live set with 9 more tracks! CD

Prince in a grand groove – really hitting a new level of funk with a razor-sharp edge – and even blowing away some of his work on previous records! The record's a soundtrack for a film – Under The Cherry Moon – and although that movie never had the success of Purple Rain, we actually think it left behind an even stronger musical legacy – one that has Prince finding even more of a funky voice than before, with so many wonderfully freaky twists and turns! The music never got the showcase it might have deserved, because of the failure of the film – but it's one of our favorite Prince albums ever, and includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown, The whole album's got some great sweeping, pop psyche orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer – and titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead". CD

The masterpiece by one of the greatest genuine rock bands of all time – finally remastered! Let It Be veers all over the place, or at least as much as jangly rock music can, in the best way possible. Includes the pseudo twangy opener "I Will Dare", with the distinctly midwestern hardcore of the group's earlier years showing up on "We're Coming Out" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out", and Westerberg's great heart-on-sleeve, ragged balladry appearing for the closers. Like the Meat Puppets and X, the 'Mats really found themselves after they shed the rigid rules of punk rock, and developed into something every bit as genuine. They followed the rock songbook just enough to keep their work warm and familiar, but with way too huge and hard-pounding heart to ever seem even the least bit derivative. Hell, they even make Kiss's "Black Diamond" sound sincere! Other tracks include "Favorite Thing", "Androgynous", "Unsatisfied", "Seen Your Video", "Gary's Got A Boner", "Sixteen Blue" and "Answering Machine". CD

The masterpiece by one of the greatest genuine rock bands of all time – finally remastered! Let It Be veers all over the place, or at least as much as jangly rock music can, in the best way possible. Includes the pseudo twangy opener "I Will Dare", with the distinctly midwestern hardcore of the group's earlier years showing up on "We're Coming Out" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out", and Westerberg's great heart-on-sleeve, ragged balladry appearing for the closers. Like the Meat Puppets and X, the 'Mats really found themselves after they shed the rigid rules of punk rock, and developed into something every bit as genuine. They followed the rock songbook just enough to keep their work warm and familiar, but with way too huge and hard-pounding heart to ever seem even the least bit derivative. Hell, they even make Kiss's "Black Diamond" sound sincere! Other tracks include "Favorite Thing", "Androgynous", "Unsatisfied", "Seen Your Video", "Gary's Got A Boner", "Sixteen Blue" and "Answering Machine". Includes 6 bonus tracks of outtakes & demos. CD

A big crossover classic for the champions of the Minneapolis scene – their first for Sire and featuring some of the greatest rock songs of the 80s, be it college radio, mainstream or any thing – greatness period! The sound is a bit more polished than the Twin Tone years, but there's no scrubbing out the shambling attitude, and truth be told, the more soul-searching material here is some of the best stuff they'd ever record. Includes the all time classics "Left Of The Dial" and "Hold My Life", plus "Little Mascara, Lay It Down Clown", "I'll Buy", "Kiss Me On The Bus", "Waitress In The Sky", "Swingin Party", and "Here Comes A Regular". CD

A big crossover classic for the champions of the Minneapolis scene! Titles include "Left Of The Dial", "Little Mascara", "Hold My Life", "I'll Buy", "Kiss Me On The Bus", "Waitress In The Sky", "Swingin Party", and "Here Comes A Regular". Includes 6 bonus tracks. CD

Tracks include "Mood Indigo", "I Got It Bad", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Solitude", and "Black and Tan Fantasy". CD

One of the most free-wheeling Sonny Rollins albums of the 60s – an album that features some very long, extended tracks that really break out from some of the straighter moments of Sonny's mid-60s recordings! The title track is an incredible 20 minute workout – one that almost feels improvised, but which is never too free – always pulsating with a killer groove from the drums of Elvin Jones and bass of Jimmy Garrison – and featuring the trumpet of Freddie Hubbard in the frontline with Rollins' tenor – blowing with quite an edge throughout! Side two features "Blessing In Disguise" – which is equally adventurous – plus a surprisingly moody take on "We Kiss in a Shadow". CD

Late Sonny Rollins on Milestone, and a record with some really wonderful horn interplay – thanks to a group that includes an added brass lineup on a few cuts! The core combo, a quintet, features wonderful trombone from Clifton Anderson – a player who really made some of Rollins' records from this stretch light up nicely – bringing in a deeper sound on an instrument that Sonny didn't always work with in the past. The titles, as you might expect from the album's name, are "old flames" – standards worked nicely by Sonny, Anderson, and a group that also features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Tracks include "Prelude To A Kiss", "Darn That Dream", "Where Or When", "My Old Flame", and "Times Slimes". CD

A crackling bit of hardbop from Sonny Rollins – and a session that has Sonny playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown group that included Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano! Sonny had already made a strong name for himself on albums issued under the Roach/Brown tag at the time, and here the group returns the favor by allowing Sonny to lead, and by giving him a good deal of time in the spotlight! Rollins' solo ability is risen to a razor-sharp level for the set – really getting fire, and managing to invent at a speed and sharpness that's simply amazing. Titles include Sonny's classic reading of "Pent-up House", plus "Valse Hot", "Kiss & Run", and "Count Your Blessings". CD

A crackling bit of hardbop from Sonny Rollins – and a session that has Sonny playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown group that included Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano! Sonny had already made a strong name for himself on albums issued under the Roach/Brown tag at the time, and here the group returns the favor by allowing Sonny to lead, and by giving him a good deal of time in the spotlight! Rollins' solo ability is risen to a razor-sharp level for the set – really getting fire, and managing to invent at a speed and sharpness that's simply amazing. Titles include Sonny's classic reading of "Pent-up House", plus "Valse Hot", "Kiss & Run", and "Count Your Blessings". CD

Two excellent albums from Jimmy Rushing – packed together on one CD, with extra tracks and great liner notes! Rushing Lullabies is a killer album by Jimmy – and certainly one of his best later records! The album includes the amazing track "Russian Lullaby", done in a totally swinging jazz version with Ray Bryant, Buddy Tate, and Sir Charles Thompson on organ. The track's incredible, and still sends shivers down our spines when we hear it – even though we've owned it for years! Other material's pretty darn great, too – including "Three Long Years", "Did You Ever", "I Cried for You", and "You Can't Run Around". Great organ by Thompson really makes the set swing! Jimmy & The Big Brass is another excellent session – and his approach to the material is extremely thoughtful, and always tinged with a good sense of jazz, making it swing a bit more than on earlier recordings. On this album, he's singing to a set of arrangements by Jimmy Mundy, Buck Clayton, and Nat Pierce – and titles include "Jimmy's Blues", "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie", "I'm Coming Virginia", and "Knock Me A Kiss". 25 tracks in all! CD

A record that will blow your mind – way different than you might expect from the cover! Sure, Pee Wee was a bit of a traditionalist on his instrument – the clarinet – but he's working here in a starkly modern way that almost recalls some of the best 50s work of Jimmy Guiffre, or some of the earlier sides by Steve Lacy. There's still a swing-based approach to the tunes, but they're handled in a spare style that features equal interplay between Russell, trombonist Marshall Brown, bassist Russell George, and drummer Ronnie Bedford – a great player who really makes the album sparkle! The tracks include a couple of Thelonious Monk titles – "Ask Me Now!" and "Hackensack" as well as a couple of Marshall Brown originals – "Licorice Stick" and "Calypso Walk". Other titles are Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround", Coltrane's "Some Other Blues" and Ellington's "Prelude To A Kiss". CD

Has there ever been anyone as lovely as Sade? We think not – and from the time she first hit our ears in the 80s, it was the start of an instant love affair that's continued for decades! Sade really brought something new to music at the time – a return to older styles of acoustic and jazz-based instrumentation, at a time when so many soul singers were mostly working with beats, keyboards, and samples – and a breathy voice that was instantly unique, and which kept on captivating us for years of recordings. This best of collection dates from the mid 90s – and provides an excellent sampling of tracks from Sade's albums Diamond Life, Promise, Stronger Than Pride, and Love Deluxe – titles that include "No Ordinary Love", "Like A Tattoo", "Cherish The Day", "Kiss Of Life", "Your Love Is King", "Hang Onto Your Love", "Sweetest Taboo", "Is It A Crime", and "Nothing Can Come Between Us". CD

Live magic from Sade – an artist who only seems to captivate us more as the years go on! This recent performance is a great illustration of Sade's continuing strength in soul music – as she's already great enough on the CD included in the package, but really shines brightly on the visual component as well – a DVD performance that's even longer than the CD – and both are filled with great live interpretations of Sade gems from years back. The film is beautifully shot, and the music is very well-recorded – and titles include "In Another Time", "Love Is Found", "Skin", "Kiss Of Life", "All About Our Love", "The Moon & The Sky", "Pearls", "No Ordinary Love", "Cherish The Day", "Soldier Of Love", "Smooth Operator", "Paradise/Nothing Can Come Between Us", and "The Sweetest Taboo". DVD features bonus features too! CD

Live magic from Sade – an artist who only seems to captivate us more as the years go on! This recent performance is a great illustration of Sade's continuing strength in soul music – as she's already great enough on the CD included in the package, but really shines brightly on the visual component as well – a DVD performance that's even longer than the CD – and both are filled with great live interpretations of Sade gems from years back. The film is beautifully shot, and the music is very well-recorded – and titles include "In Another Time", "Love Is Found", "Skin", "Kiss Of Life", "All About Our Love", "The Moon & The Sky", "Pearls", "No Ordinary Love", "Cherish The Day", "Soldier Of Love", "Smooth Operator", "Paradise/Nothing Can Come Between Us", and "The Sweetest Taboo". DVD features bonus features too! CD

Sade's last LP from the early 90s before she went into her brief recording and performing hiatus. Like the preceding records, the approach is heavy on the jazz side of things, with a crisp, spare touch on the production and a wonderfully soulful feel to the songwriting. At this point she no longer had to work to break into the charts, but that didn't stop her and her band from coming up with a great batch of material that managed to be easily accessible without losing any of the sublime grace that set her apart. Includes "No Ordinary Love", "Cherish The Day", "Feel No Pain", "I Couldn't Love You More", "Like A Tattoo", "Kiss Of Life", "Pearls", "Bullet Proof Soul" and "Mermaid". CD

Includes "Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)", "Leader Of The Pack", "What Is Love?", "Give Him A Great Big Kiss", "Maybe" and more – 25 tracks in all! CD

Zoot Sims blows it nicely on this open-ended live set recorded in Copenhagen – a batch of tracks with the same sort of long, free space for solos as other dates done on that scene by American tenor stars! No surprise, Kenny Drew's backing Zoot up with some tremendous rhythm accompaniment – working here with a trio that includes Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – just about the best backing a player like Sims could have hoped for on the date! All the tracks here move well past the 5 minute mark – with most approaching 10 – and Zoot's ability to solo strongly in an extended fashion is very firmly in place. Titles include "Groovin High", "Too Close For Comfort", "Blue Hodge", "Morning Fun", "All The Things You Are", "It's All Right With Me", and "In The Middle Of A Kiss". CD

An obscure live set from pianist Bobby Timmons – recorded most likely in the early 60s, at a house party in Connecticut – but not issued until after his early death! The album's got an open quality that's quite different than some of Timmons studio work – almost a bit more introspective and pianistic, if we can use that word in mixed company. Bobby's working with a core trio of Sam Jones on bass and Mickey Roker on drums – in a mode that's a lot looser than his soul jazz sets, and which seems to free him from the stock modes of some of his hits – and let him explore a lot wider range on the keyboards. Another treat is the added bonus of Sonny Red – who joins the group on the album's 3 longer tracks, playing in that wonderfully flattened tone of his – an odd one, but a sound that comes off with an incredible edge that we really love. Titles include "Here's That Rainy Day", "Now's The Time", "Moanin", and "Prelude To A Kiss". CD

Allen Toussaint's complete recordings for Warner – a trio of classic albums from one of the greatest forces in Crescent City soul, plus rare live tracks – in a perfect 2CD set! Includes the complete Life Love & Faith, Southern Nights and Motion albums – from a creatively fruitful 70s period when Toussaint was mixing a bit of funk into the heavy soul mix, and even some mellow LA soul touches – coming up with a blend of styles without ever betraying his New Orleans roots! New Orleans legends like Leo Nocentelli, Zig Modeliste, Art Neville and George Porter Jr factor in to the Life Love & Faith and Southern Nights sessions, along with LA sessions all stars like Richard Tee, Victor Feldman, Paulinho Da Costa, Larry Carlton and producer Jerry Wexler on the Motion sessions – this this excellent Rhino CD anthology also include 10 previously unreleased live records! Titles include Soul Sister", "Victims Of The Darkness", "Am I Expecting Too Much", "Out Of The City", "Goin Down", "Electricity", "Fingers & Toes", Southern Nights", "Basic Lady", "Last Train", "Worldwide", "You Will Not Lose", "When The Party's Over", Motion", "Night People", "Just A Kiss Away", "Declaration Of Love", "Viva La Money" and more from the studio recordings, plus "Touch Of Love", "Brickyard Blues", "What Is Success", "Shoo-Ra", "Last Train" and more live tracks! CD

Seminal 60s work from the Tymes – a group who could work with the energy of a doo wop group at one level, but who also had the class of a more sophisticated vocal act! On these recordings, The Tymes wonderfully bring together the worlds of streetcorner harmony and classier pop – singing material of the latter realm with the personal, effortless ease of the former – in a mode that helped them crossover strongly in their early years! Part of the strength of the group's work on these tunes comes from the uncluttered production and arranging skills of Billy Jackson and Roy Straigis – who bring up the vocals beautifully, and use other elements sparingly, but just enough to class up the sound nicely. There's a strong precursor here to New York uptown soul – as you'll hear on the set's 22 tracks that include "View From My Window", "Chances Are", "My Summer Love", "The Lamp Is Low", "One Little Kiss", "Address Unknown", "Anymore", "Here She Comes", "Come With Me To The Sea", "So Much In Love", "Wonderful Wonderful", and "Words Written On Water". CD

One of the best-remembered moments of music from the enigmatic Vangelis – a set that's maybe a bit darker and more moody than some of his other records of the time – thanks to the Blade Runner setting provided by director Ridley Scott! Vangelis works plenty of familiar early 80s soundtrack elements here – lots of keyboards and electronic wash, plus even a bit of almost-cheesy sax at times – but he makes the whole thing sound nicely off-kilter at most moments, with just the sort of awkward replication that fits perfectly with the narrative theme of the film. There's some beautiful exotic currents that are maybe even more captivating here on record than you might remember from their use onscreen – and titles include "Memories Of Green", "Tales Of The Future", "Rachel's Song", "Blush Response", "Lone More Kiss Dear", and "Tears In Rain". CD

Very nice jazz-oriented material that has Sarah working with Jimmy Jones, one of her best accompanists, or John Malachi, who was in Billy Eckstine's band at the same time Sarah was with the group. All the tracks have nice small combo instrumentation – and Sarah keeps things nice and warm vocally, free to get a bit more intimate than usual in the album's casual setting. Titles include "All Of Me", "Lover Man", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "You Hit The Spot". CD

A really compelling album from trumpeter Jack Walrath – just the sort of effort that gets us to take a lot closer work at his other work as a leader! The album's got a very ambitious sort of feel – a core combo backed by larger strings – all in a range of unusual rhythms and exotic styles, way more than we might usually expect for a Muse Records session of this vintage! The core group features Walrath on trumpet, Carter Jefferson on tenor and soprano sax, Michael Cochrane on piano, Anthony Cox on bass, and Ronnie Burrage on drums – augmented by a fuller batch of strings conducted by Don Sickler, with a very dark feel that's almost a more sinister approach to Claus Ogerman's territory with other jazz players. Tracks are all long and complicated – and titles include "Faith", "Jump Monk", "The Serpents Kiss", "Gagaku", "Adagio For Strings & Organ", and "Blues In The Guts". CD

Mad mad funk, and the fantastic second LP by the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – the group that proved to everyone that LA could be just as funky as any other city in the 60s! The record draws strongly from the group's indie roots in the funky 45 scene – and the album's filled with short tracks that bump along in jagged rhythms, offbeat arrangements, and some slight touches of sweeter soul. Charles Wright is leading the group on vocals, and taking a stronger presence on these soul-based cuts – but as before, it's the strength of the overall group that really makes the album great – especially the bass work of Melvin Dunlap and the funky drums of James Gadson! Titles include some killer original tracks by the band – like "Do Your Thing", "Giggin' Down 103rd", "Phuncky Bill", "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul", and "A Dance, A Kiss, & A Song" – plus great covers of "Something You Got", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and "Knock On Wood". CD features 8 more bonus tracks too – including mono single takes on "65 Bars", "Do Your Thing", and "A Dance A Kiss & A Song" – and the previously unreleased tracks "Poverty Stricken Chicken", "Happy Feet", and "You've Lost That Lovin Feelin" – plus "Bottomless" and the long version of "Do Your Thing". CD

Includes the songs "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Time On My Hands", "Early Autumn", "Prisoner Of Love", "When I Fall In Love", "Willow Weep For Me", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Chelsea Bridge", "My Funny Valentine", "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me", and more. CD

One of the best dates ever as a leader from trumpeter Joe Wilder – and one of the few to have a really relaxed, open sort of format! Joe's not tied up in gimmicks or larger groups here – and he really sparkles in the company of a quartet that features Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – players that really match Wilder's inherent sense of soul and lyricism, as he waxes some beautiful solos on the set. There's a nice sort of blueness in Joe's tone, but one that's never too forced or cliched – and titles include "Mad About The Boy", "Six Bit Blues", "Darn That Dream", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "My Heart Stood Still". CD

One of the greatest Nancy Wilson albums of the 60s – a small combo jazz date, done with a style that's different than some of Wilson's larger sessions of the time! The group has a relaxed, easygoing feel – and Wilson slides in with a style that's a lot more laidback and subtle than on other Capitol dates – almost the mellow feel of a late 50s Dakota Staton date, but still song with all the careful class that Nancy brings to her vocals! The group's a quartet, led by pianist Hank Jones – and featuring Gene Bertoncini on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Grady Tate on drums – on titles that include "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe", "Do it Again", "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Supper Time", and "I Thought About You". CD

Nancy Wilson remakes American classics of the 20th century – taking a host of tunes from Gershwin, Ellington, Arlen, Porter, and Berlin – and remaking them in her sophisti-soul style of the 60s! She's got plenty of great help on the sessions – with arrangers that include Gerald Wilson, Jimmy Jones, and Billy May – plus accompaniment from players that include Cannonball Adderley, Hank Jones, and George Shearing. The collection features a total of 44 tracks in all – and titles include "Supper Time", "Sleepin Bee", "Secret Love", "My Ship", "Dearly Beloved", "Sophisticated Lady", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "All Of You", "Bewitched", "The More I See You", "Never Will I Marry", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "By Myself". CD

Early work by pianist and bandleader Teddy Wilson, working here with Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Lester Young, and the Chocolate Dandies. Titles include "Once Upon A Time", "My Melancholy Baby", "Handful Of Keys", "If I Were You", "Say It With A Kiss", and "Wham (Re Bop Boom Bam)" – 24 tracks total. CD