A hip little set from Ruth Brown – miles away from her earlier R&B for Atlantic, and much more in the adult, righteous, and contemporary mode you'd expect from the title! The session's one of the key sides from the late 60s Skye Records catalog – and like others on the label, it features Gary McFarland production, and some great small group backings by a group that includes Richard Tee on organ, Billy Butler on guitar, and Herbie Lovelle on drums. Ruth's trials and tribulations are listed in detail inside the notes – and the record was one of the first re-discovery efforts that Brown undertook – a session that was trying to help her pay her dues, and expose her to the same sort of audiences that were lapping up Aretha Franklin at the time, but not giving as much attention to older singers. Tracks are a mix of (then) contemporary numbers and updated older tunes – with titles that include "Yesterday", "Please Send Me Someone To Love", "Lookin Back", "Try Me & See", "Miss Brown's Blues", "My Prayer", and "This Bitter Earth". CD

An obscure little set, but a great one too – a joint effort from Charles and Barbara Burton – served up with a really wonderful blend of upbeat club and modern soul modes! The album's got all the indie soul charm you'd expect from its title and cover – a simple, straightforward approach to the music that's often got lots of personal touches and genre-crossing moments – a great antidote to more mainstream soul of the time, but done with a fair bit of skill throughout! Instrumentation includes some great keyboards next to Barbara's vocals – and a few numbers feature chorus vocals that come across with an especially shimmering kind of sound. Titles include "LA Will Make You Pay", "Sincerely Yours", "Who You Gonna Get", "You Know I Love You", "Groovin At The Night Club", and "Nation Song". CD

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

Great early work from one of the hippest bassists of his generation! Paul Chambers cut this obscure little album in LA, featuring a "jazz delegation from the east" that included Philly Joe Jones on drums and John Coltrane on tenor – plus pianist Kenny Drew, who had already been working on the west coast – all in a style that's much more relaxed and stretched-out than most other jazz recorded in LA at the time! The album is one of the earliest small group sessions with Coltrane, and it's a very spare batch of tracks that lead off with Chambers' amazing work on bass – but which also feature some incredible early work from Trane – very raw and loud in the mix, with a lot more bluesiness than you'd expect – and we mean that in a good way! Titles include "Dexterity", "Visitation", "John Paul Jones", and "Eastbound". CD

An incredible treasure from a lost vocal jazz genius – the little-known Bobby Cole, every bit as great a singer as he was a songwriter, very unusual for the time! Bobby was probably best remembered as the house pianist at Jillys, but at the time of this 1964 recording, he was poised to emerge as a serious vocalist with a rich talent for penning interesting and witty little tunes. The album's got Bobby singing in a style that's halfway between Matt Dennis and Mark Murphy – with the sophisticated talents of both in place, and perhaps a bit of the wit of Bob Dorough or Roy Kral. The original album features Bobby on piano and vocals, with only bass and drums behind him – and the CD features a bonus 6 tracks recorded in more recent years, with larger backings. The core album is completely brilliant – the kind of off-kilter vocal record we die for – and every track's a fresh original by Bobby! Titles include "You Can't Build A Life On A Look", "Heat", "You Could Hear A Pin Drop", "Change Of Scene", "A Perfect Day", "Elegy For Eve", and "Status Quo". CD

A tasty little disco album that's a lot better than you might think! In some ways, this might be Crown Heights Affair's most perfectly realized album – as it's got lots of long tracks that mix the group's always-tight instrumental style with a spacey soul sensibility that's quite captivating. None of the cuts are standout slammers, but the album's pretty nice as a whole, and the songwriting gives the group plenty of good lyrics to work with. Titles include "Galaxy Of Love", "Dream World", "Things Are Going To Get Better", "I'm Gonna Love You Forever", and "Say A Prayer For Two". CD features a huge amount of bonus mixes too – including "Say A Prayer For Two (orig 12" version)", "Galaxy Of Love/I'm Gonna Love You Forever (original promo 12" medley)", "I Love You (unreleased 12" version)", and original 7" single versions of "Dream World", "I Love You", "Galaxy Of Love", and "Say A Prayer For Two". CD

An overlooked gem on Stax Records – one of the only records ever cut by Bettye Crutcher – also a songwriter with the label, but a hell of a singer on her own! Bettye's got a style here that's very unique – still in a Stax mode, but a bit more sophisticated too – with a subtle groove that almost feels like some of the best female soul singers coming out of the Chicago scene at the time! Sir Mack Rice co-wrote most of the tunes with Bettye – and they've got a vibe that's really great – and which has made the record a real standout from Stax over the years – really unified, and really deep – in a way that goes past any easy hit modes or cliches. Titles include the sublime track "Sunday Morning's Gonna Find Us In Love" – plus "Long As You Love Me", "A Little Bit More Won't Hurt", "Passion", "Call Me When All Else Fails", and "Up For A Let Down". CD features lots of bonus tracks too – all previously unissued – including "So Glad To Have You", "Don't You Think It's About Time", "We've Got Love On Our Side", "Make A Joyful Noise", and demo versions of "Walk On To Your New Love" and "I Forgive You". CD

One of the moddest soundtracks of the 60s Italian scene – a great blend of jazzy riffing, bassy bouncing, and some occasional cool vocal touches – all put together in a way that features lots of short tunes all grooving around one another! The approach often has the music coming out in short snapshots – little tracks that change mood quickly, but all often feature some odd variation on the main theme – slightly redone instrumentally, sometimes giving way to sparer percussion or vibes – while at other times picking up the pace to hit a far groovier mode! The work was composed and conducted mostly by Francesco DeMasi, but Alessandro Alessandroni helped out on the famous "Tema Di Londra" – and also conducted I Cantori Moderni on a number of tracks! 28 titles in all – including "Tema Di Londra", "Double Gaming", "Goldsmith", "Pianochain", "Madrid Theme", "Mister Owen's Suit", "Chasing The Spy", "Get An End", "The Game Is Going To", and "Il Mondo Va Cosi". CD

A classic set of jazz vocals from Blossom Dearie – recorded at Ronnie Scott's nightclub when she was living in London during the 60s! The set's got a nice intimate feel, and is one of Blossom's best-ever jazz recordings – a bit more live and hip than some of her Verve material, with backing from Jeff Clyne on bass and Johnnie Butts n drums. The record has little of the cocktail sound that marred some of her other releases, and more of the swinging jazz piano and vocals that you find on her best work. Blossom's voice is as unique as always, and the set's got some great groovy numbers, like "I'm Hip", "Once Upon A Summertime", "When In Rome", and "The Shape Of Things". Very nice vibe, with a good live feel and lots of interaction with the audience! CD features the bonus track "Cornflower Lavender Wallflower Blue (mono)". CD

A pair of early 80s gems from this Brazilian keyboard legend – back to back on a single CD! Night Cruiser is a key record in Deodato's move from funky jazz in the 70s to modern soul in the 80s – and one that showcases the best of his talents in both genres! The approach here is more tightly arranged and produced than that of his earlier CTI sides – but in a mode that's still plenty nice to our ears – as Deodato's uncanny sense of rhythm and timing is still very firmly in place, making the set way way more than just a smooth jazz album – and pushing it strongly into the realm of soulful spacey fusion! There's some really great tracks on the set – like the amazing "Skatin", a sweet keyboard number that's a perfect roller skating jam (in case you couldn't guess from the title) – plus "Love Magic", "Uncle Funk", "East Side Strut", and "Night Cruiser". Happy Hour is a classic from Deodato's soul-based years with a nice little R&B-inspired groove! Happy Hour was done at a time when Deodato was really getting into a lot of modern soul production and arranging work with other groups – and here, he tries his hand wonderfully at the style himself – transforming his 70s jazz funk groove into a tightly snapping 80s soul approach! Most tracks on the set feature vocals – by singers who include Kelly Barretto, Eban Kelly, and Candi Staton – but the instrumentation behind them is still plenty jazzy too, thanks to some nice work by Deodato on Fender Rhodes, mini moog, Arp, and other keyboards. Titles include "I Never Get Enough", "Keep On Movin", "Happy Hour", "Just This One Night", "Tears Of A Clown", "Sweet Magic", and "Keep It In The Family". CD features two bonus tracks – "Uncle Funk (7" mix)" and "Keep On Movin (7" mix)". CD

Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". Next is Rejoice – a huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart". Sunbeam is great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". Come Into Our World has the sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". New Affair has The Emotions breaking free a bit from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick it up nicely in a blend of snapping bassy club tracks and mellower cuts that sweetly sway with their great vocals! Loads of wonderful tracks – and an album not to miss! Titles include "Turn It Out", "There'll Never Be Another Moment", "Now That I Know", "Love Lies", "When You Gonna Wake Up", and "Here You Come Again". 3CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including "Boogie Wonderland (12" mix", "Don't Ask My Neighbors (single version)", "I Should Be Dancin (single version)", "My Baby Dance", "Changes", "Where Is Your Love (single version)", and "Flowers (single version)". CD

Sleepy John Estes was rediscovered in 1962, and made a key journey to Europe a few years later – captured here with a lean sound that's maybe even more haunting than some of his famous early records! The set just features Estes on guitar and vocals, with Hammie Nixon on harmonica and jug – and the sound of Nixon's harmonica is completely fantastic – very eerie and spooky, as if the wind is howling through the backdrop behind Estes while he performs – furthering the edge of the whole thing with a really wonderful sound! A tremendous example of 60s rural blues revival work at its best – on titles that include "Airplane Blues", "Who's Been Tellin You", "Denmark Blues", "I'm A Tearing Little Daddy", "Drop Down Mama", "Easin Back To Tennessee", and "Needmore Blues". CD features two bonus tracks – "Blues For JFK", and an alternate of "I'm A Tearing Little Daddy" CD

A really cool little record that's essentially the start of the great musical legacy of Ellen McIlwaine – a group effort, but one that still features Ellen on vocals and arrangements – as well as work on harmonica, guitar, and organ! The style is more blues-influenced than some of the acoustic moments of McIlwaine's great Polydor records from a few years later – but as with those, there's also a genre-defying approach that's mighty nice – with some currents of funk in the offbeat arrangements, which really keeps things interesting! Lead guitar is from Chris Zaloom, who has a heavier, headier quality than you might expect – and titles include "Crawling Kingsnake", "The Letter", "Mossy Dream", "Billy Gene", "Born Under A Bad Sign", and "Bow'd Up". CD

The complete legacy of Glad – and the related New Breed group as well! The set begins with the group's classic album Feelin Glad – a sweet bit of 60s sunshine, and a record that's every bit as charming as you might guess from the cover – served up by a group who are well into the best harmonies of the time, but also digging for something deeper too! The vibe isn't really psychedelic, but there's certainly some of those elements at play – as the group get help on some larger arrangements from producer Erik Wangberg, who uses just the right touches from song to song to keep things interesting, and from ever falling into too-familiar territory! The record's filled with groovy little original tunes in a variety of flavors – and titles include "Bedtime Story", "A New Tomorrow", "Sweet Melinda", "Silly Girl", "Johnny Silver's Ride", "No Ma It Can't Be", and a cool remake of "Shape Of Things". CD also features 8 more mono Glad singles, mostly of tracks from the album – plus 8 more earlier tracks by The New Breed – all mono singles by an earlier version of the group, already really able to deliver pure Cali harmonic genius! CD

A blues album, but one with a difference – thanks to some tremendous help from the legendary Johnny Otis and his young son Shuggie! Despite the fact that the leader is billed as Guitar Slim Green, Shuggie actually plays some lead guitar on the record too – adding in some cool, complicated solos that point towards his genius to come as a solo act – and which also get some nicely romping rhythms from Johnny on drums! The Otis family was definitely bringing a lot of funk into their sound at the time, which they share plenty with Slim here – helping to make the record way more than just another late 60s rootsy blues session, and instead a great west coast criss-crossing of modes. Titles include "Shake Em Up", "My Little Angel Child", "5th Street Alley Boogie", "Old Folks Blues", "This War Ain't Right", and "Big Fine Thing". Also features two bonus tracks, both unissued – "My Marie" and "Rock The Nation". CD

Arron Hall first served up some fantastic vocals in the group Guy, and here he steps out as a solo act on his own – turning out a wonderful debut that's full of all sorts of well-produced cuts that work together wonderfully as a whole! The set's one of those R&B records that was produced for the space of the CD generation – which means that tunes are linked together in these really great ways, although still ready to burst out as singles on their own – sparkling with Hall's great way with a hook, and kicked along with beats from the new jack generation that Aaron helped launch while working in Guy. Titles include "Don't Be Afraid (jazz you up version)", "Let's Make Love", "Do Anything", "Open Up", "Pick Up The Phone", "Get A Little Freaky With Me", "When You Need Me", and "I Miss You". CD features bonus tracks – "Get A Little Freaky With Me (ext club)", "Don't Be Afraid (nasty man's groove)", and "Don't Be Afraid (voc)". CD

A nice little album from Johnny Hartman – recorded back in the mid 50s for Bethlehem, in the years before he recorded his more famous dates for the Impulse label! The set has Johnny singing nice and mellow – with backing by a group led by pianist Ralph Sharon, one of Tony Bennett's longtime accompanists, with added trumpet by Howard McGhee – which creates some nicely moody interplay in the relatively spare setting of the session. Hartman's vocals are a dream, as always – and tracks include "What Is There To Say", "Moonlight In Vermont", "I'll Remember April", "Down In The Depths", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", and "We'll Be Together Again". CD features lots of bonus tracks – 6 more numbers that are alternate takes of songs on the set! CD

Essential funk in a single set – three killer albums from James Brown's legendary backing group! First up is Food For Thought – the classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The band are incredible at this point – sharper, harder, and funkier than just about any other combo around – and that includes all the thousands of groups in the funky 45 underground who were always trying to copy their sound, but never got things this right! Not only are the rhythms the stuff of legend – but the use of the instruments is far far above the norm – as can be heard on the mindblowing "The Grunt", which was sampled heavily by Public Enemy to great fame – and which features a saxophone solo that sounds more like a whistling tea kettle! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks! Doing It To Death is an incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter segues between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". Last up is Damn Right I Am Somebody – quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit – rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" – showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. The grooves then kick in – with the same heavy funk as on earlier records, but also a nice nod towards experimental production – from strange fade ups and fade downs, to stark time and rhythm changes, and even bits of electronics used to create some very cool moments in the grooves! The whole thing's as dead funky as can be, and is stuffed with insane classics like "Blow Your Head", "Same Beat", "Damn Right I am Somebody", "I'm Payin' Taxes, What am I Buyin'", and a great cover of Marvin Gaye's "You Sure Love to Ball"! CD

A bouncy little set from France Joli – moving quite far here from her initial disco groove, and getting some nice 80s groove elements from producer George Duke! Joli's definitely going for a crossover approach here – especially given the hook-heavy sound of some of the best tunes – numbers that have enough of a bounce to work on the dancefloor, but memorable moments that might work on radio as well. France also brings in some ballads, too – but given her resume, she's definitely best suited for groovers. Titles include "Does He Dance", "Give Me Your Love", "Party Lights", "Love Always Finds A Way", "In The Darkness", and "Attitude". CD features 2 bonus tracks – Shep Pettibone remixes of "Does He Dance" – one a dance mix, another a dub! CD

A wonderful little record that sounds nothing like Kansas City or something you might expect from a group with "jammers" in their name – as there's a sweet harmony style to the whole album that's a lot more like Cali work of the time! The trio harmonize together beautifully, and they mix acoustic and electric instrumentation in a nicely lean mode – yet with a quality that's still well-produced for such a small label indie release at the time! We might make an obvious comparison to CSNY, but the song themes are very different, as is the mood – and these guys are much more down to earth in a really great way! Titles include "For A Sign". "Live In Harmony", "Messiah", "For Father" "Chess Piece", "Hairy Tongued Turtle", "Midnight Watch", "Fall", "Fingers Foot & Fade", and "For Marti". 2CD edition features a full bonus disc – 14 more rare tracks from the time, a great expansion to the too-small legacy of the group! CD

A sweetly soulful set that proves that Wynton Kelly working for Verve was a heck of a great idea! There's a cohesion and direction to the session that's missing from some of Kelly's other work of the 60s – even though the format is mostly the same, with trio backing that includes Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. The tunes skip along with a really great little groove – soulful and lyrical, but always concerned with the swing – hitting all the right notes without any hoke, and making us love Kelly more than we expected! Titles include "Swinging til The Girls Come Home", "My Ship", "Out Front", "Never", "Blues On Purpose", "If You Could See Me Now", and "Six Eight" – plus the great Latin-ized groover "Bobo", which features some nice work by an uncredited flute player! CD

The only album we've ever seen from Khemistry – but a heck of a sweet little set, and one that's always been dear to our hearts! The trio features two gals and one guy, all working with a great sing-song approach on the vocals – and a snapping 80s groove on the rhythms! There's a warmth here that you don't always find in sets of this type – a simple, straightforward feel that keeps the whole album humming along nicely – even through some of the mellower numbers. Production is never too commercial, and the instrumentation's never too electric – and the album's got a simple charm that's kept it a favorite on rare soul lists for decades. Titles include "Can You Feel My Love", "There's No Me Without You", "I Can't Lose With The Stuff I Use", "Sucker For The Boogie", "I Got A Feeling", and "Walking Papers". CD

A set that begins with a fantastic solo album from Reg King – the singer best known as the lead vocalist in mod heroes The Action, stepping out here in a very different mode on his own! The record's got a headier vibe than before – songs that are more personal, most penned by King himself – and backed with sophisticated sounds from BB Blunder, in a lineup that includes the great Brian Godding on guitar, plus some organ work from Brian Auger too! The production almost has the sort of touches Vertigo would put on its more soulful, less progressive singers – which works great for Reg – on titles that include "Savannah", "You Go Have Yourself A Good Time", "In My Dreams", "Little Boy", "Gone Away", "Down The Drain", and "10,000 Miles". CD also features bonus single tracks "Nobody Knows Where We Are" and "You Go Have Yourself A Good Time". CD2 features 16 more tracks that are all much more obscure non-album demos – and CD3 features 13 more tracks, all album demos and outtakes. As usual with the label, the package is great, and there's detailed notes throughout! CD

The strings have it – in this sweet little set from bassists Peter Kowald and Kent Kessler, and the great Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello! The combination of instruments is wonderful – very free, but often quite tuneful nonetheless – as each player seems to glide between rhythm and melody, very much awash in their strong senses of sounds! The recording is a vintage one – captured in the WNUR studios in Chicago, at a very formative time for each player, especially Kessler and Lonberg-Holm – and it's issued here for the first time ever. Tracks vary in length from 17 minutes to 55 seconds – and the CD features 16 titles in all. CD

A nice little bit of bop from LA – a tightly-crafted mid 50s date for the Bethlehem label – featuring drummer Stan Levey at the head of a great group of horn players! The album features some standout work from Dexter Gordon on tenor – making a rare appearance here as a sideman – and the frontline of the sextet also features Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone – both well-matched players, especially at this point in their careers. The group's completed by Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Lou Levy on piano – and there's a bit more bite on some tracks than the usual Bethlehem set. Titles include "Diggin For Diz", "Ruby My Dear", "Tune Up", "Stanley The Steamer", and "This Time The Drum's On Me". CD

Two rare albums from Dutch reedman Theo Loevendie – both amazing little records that sound beautiful here on a single CD! Mandela features complicated lines from a hip Netherlands combo of the late 60s – one headed up by Theo Loevendie on alto sax, but which acts a lot more like a collective of modernists working together – Hans Dulfer on tenor and bamboo flute, Willem Van Manen on trombone, Nedly Elstak on trumpet, Joop Mastenbroek on baritone and clarinet, Maarten Altena on bass, and Martin Van Dunhoven and John Engels on drums. The tunes all have a nice sense of structure – energy that's more like the early 60s modernism of the European scene – particularly some of the more rhythmic styles – than the looser freedoms that some of Loevendie's contemporaries were hitting at the same time. There's definitely plenty of offbeat sounds in the mix – but the group also knows how to swing, too – on titles that include "Trombomanie", "Mr Brook", "Timbuktu", "Trompedly", and "Pepy". Chess is a really playful outing from a very cool Dutch combo – one with lead alto from Theo Loevendie, but a rich array of sounds from the other members too! The reeds are especially nice – often coming together with a complexity that goes back to older European modern traditions, yet with a swinging sensibility that's still plenty jazz, too – kind of a mix of composition, arrangement, and inherent swinging – with standout work from Hans Dulfer on tenor, Leon Van Oostrom on baritone, Leo Cuypers on piano, and Willem Van Manen on trombone – a player we barely know at all, but whose bold tones really bring a lot to the record. Titles include "Lapsang Souchong", "Scratch", "Brasilia", and "Tremolo". CD

A mindblowing bit of psych from the late 60s – and a record that has way more to offer than just the usual fuzzy guitar, thanks to key use of moog, theremin, and tape tricks! There's a really freaky feel to the record from the start – a quality that's hipper than most of the underground at the time, almost an ironic take on the usual – sometimes through thoughtful lyricism, other times via a more experimental music approach that almost hints at some 70s prog and post-prog styles – yet presented here in much shorter form, without any overindulgence at all! The record's one that really transcends its time – a compelling little set that offers plenty more than just its existence as a rare relic – and which actually features many tunes that would make perfect covers for the contemporary scene today. Titles include "That's Another Story", "Machines", "This Is It", "This May Be Goodbye", "It Comes On Anyhow", and "Sex & Violence". CD features bonus tracks – "Rose Coloured Glasses", "Love", ""Comic Strip", "Every Single Word", "Let The Boy Pretend", and "Have Mercy". CD

One of two albums cut for Bethlehem by the Pat Moran Quartet – a groovy little combo that harmonized vocally while they were grooving on their instruments! The group's led by Pat on piano and lead vocals – and singer Bev Kelly is also with the group – and this album features additional backings by Nat Pierce, with players that include Anthony Ortega and Sam Most on reeds – fleshing the sound out nicely from some of the group's other work. The four part harmony mode is in the Hi-Los mode, but the twist is that it's half-male, half-female – making for a lighter sound. Tracks include "I'll Be Around", "Jordu", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "Mother Macree". CD

A landmark record – not only in the history of the western, but in that of Ennio Morricone! The soundtrack, written for this hit Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, is everything you'd want in a 60s western – driving orchestral passages, twanging guitar parts, and spooky little bits that isolate the mood of a scene nicely. The work's an instant classic, and is still one of Morricone's strongest western soundtracks – even if it is one of the most familiar. This expanded Italian version features 17 tracks in all – including some rare mono and stereo mixes – and titles include "Quasi Morto", "Musica Sospesa", "Senza Pieta", "Tortura", "Alla Ricerca Dell'Evaso", "Consuelo Baxter", and "Ramon". CD

A pretty great little fusion set from saxophonist Sam Morrison – as slinky, sloping, and seductive as the title – and a record that might have been right at home on CTI! The album features all original tunes by Morrison – played with a very cool group that includes Al Foster on drums, Buster Williams on bass, Mike Wolf on Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano, and Ryo Kawasaki on guitar. Morrison shifts effortlessly between soprano, flute, and tenor – working in a mode that's choppy, but never too over the top – dancing along in a lyrical, soulful mode! Titles include "Wonder", "Dune", "Song Of Landa", and "I Knew It Right Away". CD

One of the only albums of jazz we've seen from the Korean scene of the 70s – and a really special little record that aims to echo some of the most spiritual modes from the US scene of the time! The record's the brainchild of arranger Lee Pan Guen – who doesn't play on the record, but leaves the music to a hip lineup that features trumpet, tenor or soprano sax, piano, bass, and drums plus percussion – often used in a way that's either modal or slightly lyrical, depending on the tunes. A few tracks are remakes of American numbers, but done at a level that's very personal and fluid – echoing the spiritual currents of the original tunes on the set – and titles include "Han O Baek Nyun", "My Favorite Things", "Gasiri", "Bin Ba Da", "Arirang", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

Kenneth Patchen, like Kenneth Rexroth, was one of the few poets who really understood what it meant to read and write in a jazz idiom – as you'll hear on this excellent set of beatnik jazz tracks! The album features Patchen reading in a great style – angular, cynical, really working the words of his poems perfectly over backings by the Alan Neil Quartet. The poems are set to music written by George Wallington, Charlie Parker, and others – and tracks include "There's A Place", "They Won't Let You In There", "Do I Not Deal With Angels", "Not Many Kingdoms Left", "The Lonesome Boy Blues", "As I Opened The Window", and "A Sight Is Little Altered". CD

A great little record from Art Pepper – four long tracks that really have him stretching out on alto – but in a way that's maybe a bit different than some of his more burning albums on the Galaxy label at the time! The group here follows from some of the previous Artist House recordings – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a rhythm combo that's mighty nice – and which benefits from some great straight basswork from Haden, and Higgins' always compelling sense of rhythm! Titles include "My Friend John", "Stardust", and "Tin Tin Deo" – plus a reading of "In A Mellotone" that has Art on clarinet. CD features six bonus tracks – the tune "Art's Sweet Blues", and alternates of "But Beautiful", "Yesterdays", "Stardust", "In A Mellow Tone", and "You Go To My Head". CD

A lovely little record, and one that's got a vibe that's very different than you might guess from the creepy image on the cover! Pidgeon are a post-folk group who mix the wonderful vocals of Cheri Gage with some nicely dreamy, sometimes psychedelic arrangements – all of which give the whole thing a wonderfully swirling, soaring sort of vibe! In addition to Gage, who also plays autoharp, the set features early work from Jobraith – who'd later go on to fame in a very different mode, but who harmonizes wonderfully here next to Cheri on many numbers. Titles include "Of The Time When I Was Young", "Springtime Girl", "The Dancer", "House On A Hill Among Trees", "The Wind Blows Cold", and "Dark Bird". CD

A long-overdue look at the short but rich career of Sandy Posey on MGM Records – presented here in a set of four full albums, plus bonus non-LP singles too! Posey has a very unique approach, music that's a little bit country and a little bit pop – and which carries a distinct sound that really sets Sandy apart from so many other of her 60s contemporaries! Posey's approach is always a bit hard to peg, and that's what makes it great – a southern singer, working in Tennessee – but with soulful production from Chips Moman that pushes things both past the poppier side of Nashville, and some of the lighter girl singer modes of the east coast too – really on the cusp of something wonderful, and cresting nicely in all sorts of really wonderful ways – as distinct for Sandy maybe as Roy Orbison's special blend was for him. Chips Moman produced almost all the work here, although he gets a bit of help from Joe South near the end – and the 2CD set features 55 tracks in all, including "Born A Woman", "What A Woman In Love Won't Do", "All Hung Up In Your Green Eyes", "Deep In Kentucky", "Handy", "The Big Hurt", "Sunglasses", "Miss Lonely", "Single Girl", "Shattered", "Ways Of The World", "Take Me With You Baby", "I Take It Back", and "Bread & Butter". CD

A groovy little soundtrack – one scored for a 70s film known as The Doctor & His Sexy Student! The music's got a light and playful kind of feel – partly 70s Euro erotica, but also with some slinkier touches that have a really nice 60s approach at times, and which feature nice little keyboard lines that dance around nicely! The main theme of the film is a bit jaunty, almost cheesy, but the other tracks on the set glide around with a really great feel – and make the soundtrack an excellent discovery from 70s Italy. Titles include "Country Piano", "Claudia In Motoretta", "Indagando", "Strip Tease", "Bi Di Bi Da", "Il Colonello", and "Bossanova Della Sposa". 19 tracks in all, including a few previously unissued numbers, and 4 tracks with vocals by I Cantori Moderni di Alessandro Alessandroni! CD

An amazing little soundtrack that's every bit as groovy as its cover – a great blend of 60s mod and Italian jazz, all in support of the skeleton-costumed master thief Kriminal! This CD represents the first full length presentation of the film's soundtrack – a long-overdue masterpiece that steps off the jazzier modes used in Italian films of the early 60s, touched by some of the more dynamic production and arrangement styles that were creeping in later in the decade – all served up over short, sweet tracks that dance with delight and drama throughout! There's even a bit of the British and American spy modes of the time creeping into the mix – no doubt a way of highlighting the "international crime" reputation of lead character Kriminal. CD features a total of 29 tracks in all, with notes in both English and Italian! CD

One of the most soulful Sun Ra albums ever – very much on the Lanquidity tip, and done with a great mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation! The vibe here is really mellow, spiritual, and warm – and the album actually feels a lot more like a session recorded for the Strata East label than it does for Saturn! Keyboards pervade the session – electric piano and organ drifting around in moody, laidback lines – augmented by occasional vibes, bits of guitar, and some wonderfully well-blown sax solo work by Marshall Allen and John Gilmore! The title track "Sleeping Beauty" runs for all of side two of the album – and it's an amazing little number that mixes instrumental passages with some great mellow Roy Ayers-styled vocals. "Door Of The Cosmos" is a bit of a groover, and even gets a bit funky at times – and the album also features the laidback spacey number "Springtime". CD

A beautiful little record from Sun Ra and the orchestra – and a set that really lives up to its evocative cover and title! The album features Ra on "intergalactic space organ" – an instrument that may well be a conventional version of the organ, but which is handled with some haunting, very spacey solos that spin out beautifully often setting the scene while the rest of the Arkestra comes in and adds in great solos over the extended reading of the title tune. The lineup includes John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and Kwami Hadi on trumpet – and June Tyson sings a bit on the record as well. Titles include "Black Man", "In A Blue Mood", and "Universe In Blue" (parts 1 & 2). CD

We love the reedwork of Dave Rempis in many settings – but one of our favorites is this excellent percussion quartet – a cool combo that features two drummers, Tim Daisy and Frank Rosaly, plus the bass of Ingebrigt Haker Flaten – all working together as a sublime setting for the alto and tenor of Rempis! The group is sometimes very rhythmic, other times a bit free – and Dave's saxophone lines are tremendous throughout – stretching out on very long tracks with that unbridled sense of imaginative creativity that can make his longform improvisations so wonderful! Flaten is fantastic too – the record is a great reminder of how much focused energy he can bring to a session like this – and titles include "Everything Happens To You", "Spooky Action", "Fat Lip", "Little Fascists", and "The Exuberant Aubergine" – the last of which features guest flugelhorn work from Jean Luc Cappozzo. CD

Diego Rivera's a hell of a tenorist – and he plays a bit of soprano too – packing a heck of a lot into just a little bit of space, almost with the mix of hardbop and soul jazz we'd hear from 60s favorites like Benny Golson or Jerome Richardson! As with both of those artists, Rivera's got a way of making his presence known right from the start – but then never needs to overstate himself – as his playing is always right on the money, with just the right notes along the way – supported here by a crack quartet that features Helen Sung on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – plus trumpet from Etienne Charles on three of the album's twelve tracks. Many tunes are originals by Diego – just the right material for his balance of expression – and titles include "Indigenous", "Sombras Del Pasado", "Secret Life Of Plants", "Melina Maria", "BLM Plaza", "Shir Lashalom", and "Purpose". CD

Breezy electric vocals from 70s Sweden – a great little record that's heavy on electric piano and organ, and which features some sublime vocals from singer Meta Roos! The record does a great job of blending influences from bossa nova and sophisticated American soul – in a style that manages to draw on some of the bigger songwriters of the time, but which makes the work come across with a fresh sound of its own – thanks to creatively grooving arrangements from keyboardist Nippe Sylwen! Sylwen's keys dominate the music almost as much as Meta's warm vocals – and titles include great versions of "Zazueira", "Feel Like Makin Love", "For Peace & Love", "Oh Lori", "Here We Are Falling In Love Again", "You've Got A Friend", and "Street Walking Women". CD

A hip little record – produced by Bob Thiele as pre-Flying Dutchman effort, and with some of the great vibe of the blues records on that label! The set's got an unusual lineup – with jazzman Richard Williams on trumpet, plus Ed Davis on tenor, Marshall Hooks on guitar, Curtis Tillman on bass, Robert Schedel on piano, and Big Jim Wynn on saxophones. One track also features guitar from Art Adams and harmonica from Lightnin Rod – and titles include "Blues For Reverend King", "Ode To Billie Joe", "If You Were A Rabbit", "Juicy Harmonica", "Help Me", and "A Letter To The President". CD

Two cool UK albums from Otis Spann – back to back on a single set! First up is the album Blues Of Otis Spann – a rare UK session, and one that's sometimes got even more grit than some of his hometown recordings back in Chicago! The vibe is very lean and laidback – an early Mike Vernon production, with work from Muddy Waters on guitar – working here under the nom-du-date of "Brother" – in a quartet that just has Ransom Knowling on bass and Little Willie Smith on guitar, and plenty of killer piano and vocals from Otis! Spann seems to have even more bite here than usual – and titles include "Sarah Street", "T 99", "I Came From Clarksdale", "Rock Me Mama", "Natural Days", and "Jangleboogie". Cracked Spanner Head is a record that builds on the sound of the obscure Blues Of Otis Spann album from 1964 – using the performances from that record, but mixed differently, with different songs at times, and added work on tenor, baritone, and trumpet brought into the lineup! The vibe is great – Otis Spann with a bit more punch than usual, and maybe some slight currents of funk – on titles that include "Crack Your Head", "Iced Nehi", "Lucky So & So", "Dollar Twenty Five", "Sometimes I Wonder", and "Mr Highway Man". CD features four bonus tracks – "Pretty Girls Everywhere", "Country Boy", "My Home In The Delta", and "You're Gonna Need My Help". CD

A trippy little combo with a distinct post-Coltrane feel – stretching out here wonderfully, on a hip little session on a homegrown label! The group hail from the unlikely spot of Las Vegas – but they've got a deeply spiritual sound that rivals the best work on the coasts in the early 70s – a very searching, righteous sort of groove – crafted beautifully from the tenor sax lines of Rick Davis, and the sweet Fender Rhodes of Ron Feuer! The album's filled with long, exploratory tracks – tunes that are free, but never too much so – and the mixture of electric keys and tenor works nicely throughout – giving the album a really unique and unified feel that sets it apart from other small jazz sets of its type. All tunes are originals by the group – and titles include "Vibrations", "Starship", "Spirit Free", and "Isis Unveiled". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Horizon", "Starship (alt)", and "Dear Latin Friend". CD

A cool little album from the Kansas City scene – a mix of jazz, soul, and vocals – played by a mixed group that includes organ, guitar, vibes, and percussion! The sound is swinging soul jazz, but with vocals out front at times – and the sound is nicely rough around the edges, hardly the commercial affair you might guess from a group with "slick" in their name! These guys are clearly well suited to handling a variety of crowds, as you can tell from the shifting moods of the record – but they've also got a good talent for cooking up some good soulful tunes of their own, like the bossa-inspired "People's Choice", the mellow steppin "Voodoo Village", or the soul jazz groover "Crisco" – which begins with a really great break! The whole thing's pretty nice, and there's a few tasty cuts that also feature scatting vocals going together with the guitar. Titles include "Somewhere Along The Way", "Teach Me Tonight", "Gypsy In My Soul", and "Next Time You See Me". CD

A pair of classics from Strawberry Alarm Clock – back to back on a single CD! First up is their classic Incense & Peppermints – dreamy pop psych from Strawberry Alarm Clock – a great late 60s group who skirted the worlds of Sunshine Pop and more jamming garage rock! This album's got a lot more to offer than you might guess from just the title hit – as the instrumentation sometimes gets nicely tripped out – with cool use of organ, harpsichord, and guitar – plus plenty of special effects in production – and even some of the song styles and lengths are unusual too, making the album way more than just a batch of cute little tunes. Titles include the classic "Incense & Peppermints", the eight minute jammer "The World's On Fire", the instrumental "Pass Time With SAC", and the cuts "Paxton's Back Street Carnival", "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow", "Strawberries Mean Love", and "Unwind the Clock". Next is Wake Up It's Tomorrow – a great little second set from Strawberry Alarm Clock – much headier and tripped-out than their first! For the record, the group's not just working off the success of a previous single – and instead is really taking time in the studio to try out new ideas, musically, lyrically, and (most importantly) in the range of cool production techniques used on the set! There's still a warm harmony vocal approach on some of the album's best tunes, but they're also matched here with some more progressive guitar parts and fuzzier instrumental touches – in a way that brings a bit of darkness into the sunshine, and creates the wonderful sense of counterpoint that was always the group's strongest suit. Most tunes are nicely unfamiliar, and titles include "Curse Of The Witches", "Black Butter – Past, Present, & Future", "Soft Skies No Lies", "They Saw The Fat One Coming", "Nightmare of Percussion", "Tomorrow", "Sit With the Guru", and "Pretty Song From Psych-Out". CD also features single mixes of "Tomorrow" and "Sit With The Guru". CD

A wild little record – one that was issued under the name of Flying Dutchman label headman Bob Thiele – but which actually features work from some of the grooviest artists on the label at the time – including Tom Scott, Ornette Coleman, Jon Appleton, John Carter, Horace Tapscott, and Bobby Bradford! The package has a very different feel on each of the album's four sides – and side one is a tremendous showcase for the young reedman Tom Scott – working here in a cool mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation that's similar to his other records of the time – including organ, vibes, and some nice funky touches as well. Side two features an exploration of the history of jazz – but one that progresses quickly from early modes to hipper ones – showcasing the talents of John Carter on tenor, Bobby Bradford on trumpet, and Horace Tapscott on piano! Side three is a mighty dedication to the late John Coltrane – played at first by a trio with Joe Farrell on flute, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – then moving into a mix of Farrell's flute and narration by Rosko – then a performance by the Ornette Coleman quartet. And side four is especially mindblowing, as it's comprised of lone long piece by Jon Appleton's Syntonic Menagerie – a mix of sound samples, tape tricks, and jazz – as a commentary on The American Indian, JFK, and Martin Luther King. The whole thing's a great illustration of the Flying Dutchman label at its most revolutionary – and titles include "Head Start", "Freaky Zeke", "Lanoola Goes Limp", "Swing Era", "In The Vineyard/Avant Garde", "Love Supreme", "Lament For John Coltrane", and "A Few Thoughts For The Day". CD also features a rare bonus track – "The Flying Dutchman". CD

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that moment – letting Leon spin out some spiritual vibes of his own, and step into a few fresh new styles as well! The album's plenty righteous right from the start – partly because the lineup includes James Spaulding on alto and flute, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" on tenor – who is actually Pharoah Sanders – but also because Leon serves up a shorter take on "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – done in a great style! The album also features a classic vocal take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love – plus the frenetic "Malcolm's Gone" – and the tracks "One", "Echoes", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", and "Damn Nam". CD features three bonus tracks – a live recording of "Um Um Um" and "Damn Nam" – plus a take on "Night In Tunisia". CD

A really great set from Today – a group with a very old school sense of soul harmony, in a way that elevates the record past some of the thinner mainstream work of the time! The group definitely revel in the beaty, bassy rhythms of the new jack generation – but really come together strongly on the vocal tip, with a range that soars nicely along the scale, and really has the lyrics trading back and forth together in a great way – often really enhancing the hooks of the songs. Titles include a remix of their soundtrack cut "Why You Get Funky On Me" – plus "I Wanna Come Back Home", "Every Little Thing About You", "Let Me Know", "Self Centered", "Gonna Make You Mine", "My Happiness", "No Need To Worry", and "I Got The Feeling". CD features the bonus track "Why You Get Funky On Me (orig mix)". CD

A trio of overlooked albums from UK group Vinegar Joe – packaged here with bonus tracks as well! First up is the group's debut, Vinegar Joe – a record with a UK blend of roots rock and deeper blues currents – but served up in that 70s style that takes all the best elements way past their familiar incarnations! The group sports two singers – a young Robert Palmer and female vocalist Elkie Brooks – and although Palmer would soon emerge as a more pop-oriented artist, he's got plenty of soulful chops here – but maybe still only second to Elkie, who soars out with the sort of inspiration that must have touched Janis Joplin as well. Titles include "Circles", "Leg Up", "See The World", "Never Met A Dog", "Live A Little Get Somewhere", and "Avinu Malkenu". Next up is Rock & Roll Gypsies – a record with a really wonderful sound – tight, but never too polished – maybe that UK love of American soul inspirations that folks know more famously in work by artists like Joe Cocker or Traffic, but which is served up here with a really unique feel by the overlooked Vinegar Joe! The group sports a fantastic lead female vocalist in Elkie Brooks, who'd later go on to make some great records on her own – and a young Robert Palmer rounds out the lyrics with a quality that's so different than his later work, and maybe even more soulful overall. Titles include "Falling", "It's Gettin To The Point", "Buddy Can You Spare Me A Line", "Angel", "No One Ever Do", "Forgive Us", and "Charley's Horse". Last up is Six Star General – the third album from Vinegar Joe, and a set that we're not sure got the same global circulation as the earlier albums – which is a real shame, as the group here are maybe even more focused on their sound than before! By this point, Robert Palmer has left the group, but the wonderful Elkie Brooks is still in the lead on guitar – and the group have impeccable instrumentation from Jim Mullen on guitar, Keef Harley on drums, and Mike Deacon on keyboards. Titles include "Proud To Be", "Black Smoke Rising From The Calumet", "Let Me Down Easy", "Fine Thing", "Lady Of The Rain", and "Dream My Own Dreams". Also features bonus tracks "Speed Queen Of Ventura", "Long Way Round", and single versions of "Black Smoke Rising From The Calument" and "Rock & Roll Gypsies". CD

A trio of mid 80s albums from Narada Michael Walden – all together in one 2CD set! First up is Looking At You Looking At Me – an album with plenty of beats– so much so you might forget that Narada Michael Walden first rose to fame as a drummer – but all the electricity is fine with us, given the 80s groove sound of the set! There's a nice sense of energy that informs most of the tracks – a somewhat funky undercurrent that almost shows traces of the Minneapolis influence on soul at the time, but without a too-Prince sort of sound overall. There's also a few key ballads too – some gentler cuts that round out the set nicely, and which showcase the increasing confidence Walden's had with his vocals over the years. Titles include "Reach Out", "Looking At You Looking At Me", "Burning Up", "Shake It Off", "Dream Maker", and "Tina". Nature Of Things is a highly electric set from Narada Michael Walden – a mid 80s effort that's filled with catchy little tunes! The style's certainly more mainstream than we might have guessed, given Walden's early career – but it's still much better than most of the pop of its generation – thanks to Michael's strong jazz pedigree, which does seem to inform some of his arrangements and instrumental choices on the album. Most of the percussion is in the form of beats, but Walden's also credited with playing drums (roto-toms, perhaps?) – and in addition to his own lead vocals, the set also features work by Patti Austin and Marth Wash. Titles include "Live It Up", "Nature Of Things", "High Above The Clouds", "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Suspicion", and "Dancin On Main Street". Divine Emotion is sweet 80s soul from Narada Michael Walden – a set that has the singer/drummer very confidently in the tight R&B territory that served him so well during the decade! As with previous records, there's a fair bit of 80s electronic elements in the mix – bursting, bubbling, and exploding with a joyful groove that really fits Walden's spirit – and serves to emphasize his ever-growing talent for penning at catchy tune! Titles include "Wild Thing", "Explosion", "Jam The Night", "Divine Emotions", "Can't Get You Outta My Head", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", and "Certain Kind Of Lover". CD

A trio of wonderful albums from The Whispers – with a bit of bonus tracks too! First up is One For The Money – one of our favorite Whispers albums of the 70s – thanks to wonderful work from Philly soul maestro Norman Harris! Harris produced the record, and also played guitar on the set – giving the group this Sigma Sound-styled backdrop that almost puts the west coast harmony quintet in the territory of Gamble & Huff's work for Philly International! There's plenty of grooves on the set, but also plenty of deeper soul elements too – balanced beautifully with a richness that makes this Whispers album every bit as rewarding as work by some of their east coast contemporaries. Tracks include the sublime mellow cut "Living Together (In Sin)" – plus "One For The Money", "You're Only As Good As You Think You Are", "Sounds Like A Love Song", and "In My Heart". On Open Up Your Love, The Whispers are really riding high on the Soul Train – perfectly set up with production help from the team of Don Cornelius and Dick Griffey – who really help the group make the best of their harmonies, both on mellow cuts and upbeat groovers! The latter cuts are what The Whispers are sometimes remembered most for at this time in their career – but we really love the more laidback cuts too – as they seem to have an even more magical approach, with this floating style that really does wonders for the vocals. Titles include "Open Up Your Love", "You Are Number One", "I'm Gonna Make You My Wife", "Love Is A Dream", "I Fell In Love Last Night", and "Chocolate Girl". Headlights is sublime stuff from The Whispers – a record that features some wonderfully easy-drifting harmony vocals, put together in a careful way that preserves the smooth mellow tip that always made the group sound best! There's a maturity to the record that takes the quintet far past their early harmony soul roots, and even past some of the more clubby styles they were using during the 70s – almost the mix of sophistication that some of the hipper groups at Philly International would reach during the same stretch. The set's definitely got a few groovers, but the mellower steppers are the most wonderful – including the fantastic cut "(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out", a sweet little groover with a hook that's undeniably catchy. Other tracks include "The Planets Of Life", "Disco Melody", "Children Of Tomorrow", "All The Way", and "You're A Special Part Of My Life". CD features bonus tracks – "Sounds Like A Love Song (7" version)" and "You're Only As Good As You Think You Are (7" version)". CD

A wonderful compilation of Lee Hazlewood songs performed by others in the 60s – magnificent pulp pop, girl groups, starlets, rockers and more covering prime era Lee tunes – songs about lovers, fools, rebels and heartbroken examples of all of the above! There's little we can add to the lore of Lee – but these songs are atypically diverse and the set as a hole does a terrific job of showing just have far the Hazlewood touch could reach! Features Lee duets with Nancy Sinatra & Suzi Jane Hokum, and covers by Duane Eddy, The Hondas, The Darlenes, Al Casey, Sanford Clark, Ann Margaret, The Wildcats, Dino, Desi & Billy, The Sharps, Peggy March and many more1 25 tracks in all: "Lady Bird' by Nancy & Lee, "Sweet Ride" by Dusty Springfield, "You Turned My Head" by Ann Margaret, "Don't Look Now, But I've Got The Blues" by BB King, "(I'm Afraid) You'll Hurt Me" by The Darlenes, "The City Never Sleeps At Night" by The Shacklefords, "Guitar On My Mind" by Duane & Miriam Eddy, "Das Ist Zauberei (And I Loved You Then)" by Peggy March, "Twelve Feet High" by The Hondas and many more. CD

The title doesn't give you much to go on – but take it from us, this is a great little compilation – one that's filled with rare jazz work from a variety of European soundtracks of the 60s and 70s! The range of tracks here is really great – and wide enough to include a few favorites, plus an even wider range of rare and obscure numbers – most of which are pulled from the catalog of EMI Italy, and include a number of tunes that have never been issued to the public before! And even better, there's a fair bit of work on here that's from soundtracks that aren't normally jazzy overall – but which feature one or two great jazz tracks, pulled out nicely here and intermingled with the rest of the top-shelf set. 18 tracks in all – 5 previously unreleased – with titles that include "Eva" by Michel Legrand, "A Place For Lovers (jazz suite)" by Manuel De Sica, "Spaghetti A Detroit" by Fred Bongusto, "Adulterio All'Italiana" by Armando Trovajoli, "Ballando Con Raquel" by Nino Rota, "This Is Life" by Piero Piccioni, "Sideslip (new edit)" by Berto Pisano, "Jazz Interlude" by Giorgio Gaslini, "That's Show" by Gianni Dell'Orso, "Monitor Jazz" by Carlo Rustichelli, and "Kiss Me Worren Please" by Bruno Nicolai. CD

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 19 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group. CD

A totally cool little set, and one that takes us back to the kind of commercials they used to play at the drive-in theaters between two different movies in a long double-feature! The tracks here are all short, playful little tunes with plenty of 60s elements – sometimes jazzy, sometimes groovy – extolling the virtues of popcorn, pizza, Pepsi, and anything else you might want to whet your whistle or tame your stomach during the course of a long cinematic experience! As you'd guess from Something Wild, a lot of great research went into this project – and there's some surprising artists in the lineup, doing work you never would have imagined. The whole thing feels like a package of mini audio cartoons – very cool throughout! CD

A mighty nice little package – one that's overflowing with the special sort of Latin and soul music hybrids that rose up from the Spanish Harlem scene in the late 60s – the kind of cuts that helped establish Fania Records as one of the most important Latin labels around – and one of the grooviest too! These aren't the 70s salsa tracks that Fania spread across the globe – but the more New York-styled numbers that often had English language lyrics in the lead, sung by a soulful vocalist – and set to small combo rhythms that were overflowing with energy, and plenty of touches of jazz, soul, and funk! These are all the mixes from the rare 45rpm singles issued by Fania back in the day – and although the songs are wonderful, the collection together is even cooler as a whole – dozens of tracks, including some really rare ones – all bound up in a 7" book-styled cover, with 60 pages of notes, and a bonus funky 45! Titles include "Silent Heart" by 125th Street Candy Store, "Micro Mini" and "Make Out" by Harvey Averne, "Too Much Lovin" and "So Fine" by Joe Bataan, "Willie Baby" by Willie Colon, "Soul Drummers" and "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Geronimo" and "Funky Big Feet" by Bobby Valentin, "Mercie" by Ralph Robles, "Camel Walk" by The Latinaires, "Batola Boogaloo" by Bobby Quesada, "Grazin In The Grass" by Orchestra Harlow, "Spinning Wheel" by El Apollo Sound, "Hey Sister" by Monguito Santamaria, "Who Is The Girl For Me" and "Look At Her" by Ralfi Pagan, "New York Soul" by Ray Barretto, "Some Lonely Heart" by ronnie Marks, "Let's Get It Together This Christmas" by Harvey Averne, "Shaft" and "If I Were A King" by Joe Bataan, "Johnny's No Good" and "Blonde Latin Blues" by WRLC, and "Today" and "Try Just a Little Harder" by Butter Scotch. Lots more too – and the bonus 7" single features two promo tracks recorded for DJ Symphony Sid – one by Joe Bataan, the other by Bobby Valentin! CD

An insane package – one that features the material from the 6CD Complete Concert Wattstax set, plus 5 more CDs from Summit Club Recordings in 1972, plus one more CD of additional material too! First up are 6 CDs that feature a stunning presentation of the legendary Wattstax concert – that huge moment of pride and power when the folks at Stax Records filled up the Los Angeles Coliseum with one of the most memorable shows of the 70s! The meeting of talents here is the stuff of legend – and this great package brings together the complete show in running order – really building up excitement as the concert progresses – with different acts each bringing their own sort of fire to the stage, culminating in a fantastic long finale by Isaac Hayes! The presentation is different than the two double albums that Stax issued back in the 70s – and this expanded package features a number of unreleased tracks in place of material the label later added – such as work from Richard Pryor and The Emotions. There's a whole instrumental section at the start, and more spoken links between some parts – and new material includes unissued work from Kim Weston, Freddie Robinson, Ernie Hines, Eric Mercury, Tommy Tate, Billy Eckstine, and Isaac Hayes – in addition to famous performances by The Soul Children, Jesse Jackson, Rufus Thomas, Albert King, Carla Thomas, William Bell, The Bar Kays, David Porter, The Temprees, Eddie Floyd, and David Porter – plus plenty more from Isaac Hayes too! Great package – with a full color book with new notes and essays, and plenty more too. The Summit Club material follows on five more CDs – material that was partly issued on some other reissues by individual artists, but augmented here with a wealth of unreleased material too! There's a a full show of work from Johnnie Taylor and Rufus Thomas – the latter of whom even does some comedy bits – plus some extra funky performances from The Sons Of Slum, heavy blues from Little Milton, great soul from The Emotions, and a huge amount of never-issued work from the great duo Mel & Tim – arguably better here than on their Stax studio sessions. CD12 features additional recordings that were layered into some of the LP releases issued under the Wattstax name – 15 more tracks that include titles by The Emotions, Isaac Hayes, The Dramatics, Staple Singers, and Eddie Floyd – plus some comedy routines by Richard Pryor. CD

The Kay Bank studios were located in the Twin Cities during the 60s – quite far from the oceans on both coasts, and even from the Great Lakes mentioned in the title – yet that didn't stop them from turning out a surprisingly great array of surf rock singles at the time! The music here resonates strongly with both the warmer surf instrumentals down in Cali, and some of the guitar instrumentals from the Pacific Northwest – recorded with just the right amount of echo to bring out the best in the driving guitar lines and bass – and often urged on strongly by some mighty nice drums! As you can guess, the tracks within are plenty rare – and although a few were issued as small indie label singles, most of the material here never came out at the time – served up in a set of tracks that includes "Disintegration" by The Readymen, "Caliente" by The Marauders, "Heaven's Devil" by The Boss Tweeds, "Girl Don't Tell Me" by The Satisfactions, "Za Boo" by The Valients, "Bird Gasp 65" by The Trashmen, "Little Queenie (inst)" by The Furys, "Surf Beat" by The Chancellors, and "80 Foot Wave" by The Vaqueros. CD features 6 more bonus tracks too! CD

A great little package, and way more than just the familiar exotica moments on mainstream compilations – as your guides here are Lux Interior and Poison Ivy of The Cramps – two folks who know more than plenty about the music of the farther reaches of the postwar years! And although their other collections for this label have gone way out to pull in some totally obscure material, the blend here is more measured – so that you'll get great cuts by some of the bigger exotica names, mixed with other numbers that are more unusual – and some that we wouldn't have even thought to include in such a package – all awash in sounds from the islands, tropical percussion, and even a few birdcalls and chants along the way! The 2CD set features a great range of material – and titles include "The Twisters" by Mel Henke, "Hampi" by Yma Sumac, "Mystery Of Love" by Olatunji, "Jardin De La Noche" by Robert Drasnin, "Mood For You" by Phil Moore, "Alegres Conga" by Cal Tlader, Envy" by Bill Russo, "Kele Kele" by Johnny Richards, "African Bossa Nova" by Ahmed Abdul Malik, "Tabu" by Augie Colon, "Pua Carnaeon" by Arthur Lyman, "Adventures In Paradise" by Leo Addeo, "Dance Of The Nustas" by Elisabeth Waldo, "Pagan Love Song" by Alex Stordal, "Balikpapan" by Jimmy Namaro Trio, and "Train To Ranchipur" by Markko Polo Adventurers. CD

A nice little collection, and one that definitely fits the sunny Cali look on the cover – as the set mixes together vintage jazz and AOR from the 70s, but also includes some cuts from the present as well – all with a timeless vibe that almost creates a new sort of genre unto itself! Acoustic and electric elements share the sound equally, as do vocal and instrumental modes – and there's a style to the set that's maybe as if you've come into the SoCal scene during the height of the big label recordings of the 70s – but maybe stumbled on some smaller studios down the road apiece where more personal, interesting music is taking place. Titles include "Let Love Flow" by Monica Rypma, "You Never Sang This Song" by Guy Maxwell, "Sunday Morning" by Pixie Lauer, "Ride That Train" by Guy Schwartz, "Make Believe" by Jim Lamarche, "Land Of Wonder" by Maria Fant, "Misterios" by Diana Pequeno, "Marie" by Airbone, "Summer Days/Golden Haze" by White Feature, and "Phone Home" by Michael Welch. CD

Sublimely soulful work from Azymuth – 2 albums back to back on a single CD! Cascades is fantastic fusion from a group who just couldn't miss during these early 80s California years! The sound here is smooth, but never slick – always a little offbeat, and quite different from more mainstream US fusion of the time – thanks to the genius of Jose Roberto Bertrami's keyboards, which glide one moment, dip the next, and often have these slight changes in speed that are totally great. Other members of the core trio include Alex Malheiros on bass and guitar and Ivan Conti on drums and percussion – and the set also features guest work by Mauricio Einhorn on harmonica, Jose Carlos on flute, and Sidney Moreira on percussion. Titles include "Remembering Milton", "Club Morocco", "Through The Window", "Festa Nativa", "Cascade Of The Seven Waterfalls", and "Indian Pepper". Rapid Transit is a set with a really warm groove overall – hardly the too-fast, or too-urban record you might expect from the title! Instead, there's a nicely organic sensibility going on here – a sound that feels fresh and spontaneous, even when it's in the highly electric territory of Jose Roberto Bertami's keyboards. There's a slight bit of added flute and percussion on the set, but most of the sounds here are from the core Azymuth trio – who even vocalize wordlessly on one of the album's best tracks. Titles include "Missing Doto", "Make Mine Guarana", "Gate Of Time", "I'm Just Looking Around", "Somewhere In Brazil", and "Afternoon". CD

One of the biggest records ever from The Chi-Lites – thanks to the "Oh Girl" title hit that's referenced on the cover! But apart from that ballad classic, the record's actually got a heck of a lot more to offer – some incredible harmony soul tracks that show that even during their hit years, The Chi-Lites were one of those groups who could still stay true to their roots – and still come up with amazing tunes again and again! Mainman Eugene Record is at the helm producing and writing most of the tunes on the set – and some of the best numbers have that little gentle groove that was the best Chi-soul contribution to the sound of the 70s – that lilt or bounce from the 60s, turned towards slightly more sophisticated modes for the new generation. Titles include "Being In Love", "Love Is", "Coldest Days Of My Life", "Living In the Footsteps Of Another Man", "Ain't Too Much Of Nothing", and "A Lonely Man" – and a cover of "Inner City Blues". CD also features the bonus track "The Coldest Days Of My Life (part 1)". CD

A long-overdue look at a little-heard side of the career of 60s pop giant Lou Christie – his great but ill-fated recordings for Columbia Records – most of which appear here for the first time ever! Lou hit the label right after a massive hit for MGM – and Columbia gave him plenty of time in the studio, and continued his work with producer Charles Calello – the genius who crafted so many wonderful settings for Christie, as well as the Four Seasons at the time. Calello's genius is in full effect here – creating these incredible backdrops for Christie's stunning vocals – really pushing him past simple pop into a whole host of different modes that make the whole thing a great "what if" – had the label not given up on Lou so quickly. The CD features great sound, detailed notes, and 24 tracks in all – 15 of which appear here for the first time ever – a blindingly great mix of tracks that includes "I Remember Gina", "The Greatest Show On Earth", "Blue Champagne", "Tender Loving Care", "Gypsy Bells, "Escape", "Standing On My Promises", "Shake Hands & Walk Away Cryin", "Self Expression", "Yellow Lights Say", "Meditation", and "How Many Days Of Sadness". CD

An amazing legacy in music from Mike Cooper – a British musician who started out in the world of folk blues, but never ended up moving towards some of the rockish modes of his contemporaries – instead finding his very own sort of special space in the freedom allowed by the Dawn Records label! The set begins with the very spare Oh Really – a set that has Mike Cooper mostly on guitar and vocals, in a style that's part Piedmont, part Delta blues – but also given a more folksy spin, and graced with Cooper's unusual vocals – almost making the whole thing feel like a spare acoustic version of Canned Heat territory – with titles that include "Maggie Campbell", "Saturday Blues", "Electric Chair", "Crow Jane", and "You're Gonna Be Sorry". Do I Know you is a record that follows up with a sound that's maybe a bit fuller than Mike Cooper's debut, but still relatively spare – with Mike on acoustic guitar and slide guitar, Harry Miller on bass (really great bass, by the way!), and Poor Little Anne on a bit of vocals. Miller brings these deep tones to the record that really transform things – and titles include "Do I Know You", "Start Of A Journey", "First Song", "Theme In C", and "The Link". Trout Steel is a beautiful set from the British scene at the start of the 70s – a record that's got a fairly folksy tone, but lots of jazzy currents as well! The set was issued on the seminal Dawn Records label – and really shows that imprint's commitment to the left side of the spectrum – as Mike Cooper's vocals and acoustic guitar come into play with more guitar from Stefan Grossman – plus alto sax from Mike Osborne, tenor and soprano from Alan Skidmore, piano from John Taylor, and bass from the late Harry Miller – all key players on the UK avant jazz scene of the time! The mix of these players with Cooper's core inspiration is not unlike some of the most progressive material coming from Island Records – or, even better, the special jazzy moments on records by Tim Buckley or Tim Hardin – company that Cooper could very easily keep, given the strength of his songwriting. Titles include "Don't Talk Too Fast", "On My Way", "Hope You See", "Weeping Rose", "Trout Steel", "I've Got Mine", "That's How", and "Pharoah's March". Places I Know blends Cooper's acoustic guitar and rootsy vocals with some very compelling arrangements from Mike Gibbs – the British jazz talent who was already known for his larger ensemble creations at the time, but who works here in these really subtle ways – to inflect Cooper's core inspirations with just some slight instrumental colors, tones, and phrases on most numbers – while Cooper brings in the core Machine Gun Co group on a few more. The result is a record that's way more than familiar folk – and arguably a lot hipper than most of the British acid folk of the time, too – on titles that include "Night Journey", "Paper & Smoke", "Country Water", "Time To Time", "Goodbye Blues Goodbye", and "Places I Know". The Machine Gun Co album is a partner record to Places I Know – recorded in the same sessions, but with tracks that are longer, and even more openly expressive – all with backings from the sweet Machine Gun Co quartet, a group with some especially nice electric piano from Alan Cook! Heavy use of that instrument really works against some of the folksier elements in Cooper's music – with these blocks of warm sound and color that really illuminate the tunes, and almost unlock a new level in the vocals. Cooper plays a bit of electric guitar at times – and titles include "So Glad That I Found You", "Lady Anne", "Midnight Words", and "Song For Abigail". CD also features songs from singles – "Your Lovely Ways (parts 1 & 2)", "Time In Hand", and "Schaabisch Hall". CD

A killer contemporary set from Gyedu Blay Ambolley – one of the Afro Funk heroes of the 70s, still sounding fantastic after all these years! The album was all recorded at Ambolley's Simigiwa Studios in Ghana – and arrangements, instrumentation, and production are all in a very classic mode – with the leader on tenor and vocals, stretching out with this nicely raspy quality that's a great evolution in his sound – as if he's found a way to put even more feeling and experience into the sound that he gives us! The rest of the lineup features keyboards, trumpet, tenor, alto, guitar, and plenty of percussion – on titles that include "Black Woman", "I No Dey Talk I Do De Lie", "Ignorance", "Little Small Girl", "Sunkwa", "Who Go Pay", "Brokos", and "Who Made Your Body Like Dat". CD

A record with a very striking title – and a wonderful sound to match – this warm, fluid blend of the vocals of Nia Andrews and a rich keyboard-heavy environment – one that features a fair bit of contributions from Mark De Clive-Lowe! Nia also plays piano and keyboards, and it's clear that she's an equally comfortable instrumentalist – and often envisions her vocals wrapped around her keys – yet never in a way that's trying to hide her singing, as Andrews is clearly one hell of a vocalist in the making! Titles include "Little Girl", "Linger", "Might Be Eternity", "The Road", "Cleo & The King", "Seems So", and "The Ceiling". CD

Forget the hokey kangaroo picture on the cover, because the record's a mighty sweet set of 50s modern jazz – played by some key musicians from Australian who were working in the US at the time! The record's got a style that's somewhere between the hippest sessions of LA and Sweden at the time – all the coolness of both scenes, but a sense of playful expression that really comes through on some of the more unusual passages. The core group features Errol Buddle and Dick Healey on reeds, Bryce Rhode on piano, and Jack Brokensha on vibes – with added work from John Fawcett or Jimmy Gannon on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums. Titles include "Loose Walk", "Like Someone In Love", "Music For Walkin", "Fascinating Rhythm", "A Foggy Day", and "Little Girl Blue". CD

No Mirage here – as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny – a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown – better known for his later avant work – and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid – plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully – but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. Other cuts include "Slinky", "Mirage", "Just a Little Peace", and "March On". CD

A trio of solo albums from Phillip Bailey – presented here with bonus material too! First up is Continuation – an 80s soul classic from Philip Bailey – stepping out here from Earth Wind & Fire in a set that has him sparkling strongly as a solo act! The vocals still have that trademark Bailey sound – a wonderful range that's never overdone, and which seems to shine especially well on the mellow and midtempo tunes in the set! Production is by George Duke, who does a lot to preserve the jazzier warmth of Bailey's previous settings – and although there's a bit more crossover potential here, the sound is still never too commercial or aimed at the charts. Titles include "It's Our Time", "Trapped", "I Know", "I'm Waitin For Your Love", "Desire", "The Good Guy's Supposed To Get The Girls", and "Your Boyfriend's Back". Next is Chinese Wall – a big breakthrough for Philip Bailey – and a record that was kind of a second-level explosion for the Earth Wind & Fire sound in the 80s! There's a definite crossover feel to the record – a style that takes Bailey's soulful vocals, and mixes them with lots of catchy hooks – in ways that push the Kalimba aesthetic even more into mainstream modes. Yet the album's still got some solid soul grounding, too – thanks to arrangements by Tom Tom and Arif Mardin – which is a nice contrast to the production by Phil Collins, who also guests on the hit "Easy Lover". Other cuts include "Time Is A Woman", "Go", "Walking On The Chinese Wall", "Photogenic Memory", "I Go Crazy", and "Children Of The Ghetto". Last is Inside Out – a set that has Philip Bailey working with Nile Rodgers, who gives him a lean, clean sound that works perfectly with his vocals! The sound is a nice change from the direction Bailey was heading in previously – a return to the focused soul of the later Earth Wind & Fire years, with his amazing lead opening up in ways that few other singers can match. Tunes are pretty well-penned too – catchy, but never cloyingly commercial – and titles include "State Of The Heart", "Welcome To The Club", "Special Effect", "Because Of You", "Take This With You", "The Day Will Come", "Back It Up", and "Echo My Heart". 3CD set features nice bonus material – "I Know (ext dance mix)", "Love Is Alive", "Easy Lover (with Phil Collins)", "Walking On The Chinese Wall (single)", "State Of The Heart (dub mix)", "Twins (with Little Richard)", "Twins (club mix)", and "Easy Lover (ext dance mix)". CD

Joe Bataan working in a pronounced dancefloor soul mode! While the legendary Bataan was no stranger to the fusion of Latin, soul and funk, this some of the most club soul oriented sounds from Joe we've ever heard – and the sessions are seeing official release for the first time ever! The recording feature players who worked on Joe's stellar Afrofilipino and features a backdrop of wonderful Afro and Latin percussion and rhythms with the best sounds of the NYC dancefloor soul in the mix – with uptempo and midtempo vocal numbers flirting with disco and modern soul very nicely – with solid lead vocals and groovy female backup! Most tunes bring a bit of harp into the mix for a little more of a soar that plays off the percussion in really cool way. Titles include "Sadie", "When We Get Married", "My Cloud", "I Need Love", a take on the Isaac Hayes "Theme From The Men", "Let Me Kove You", "My Opera" and "I Do Love You". CD

A double-helping of Chuck Berry brilliance from his early years on Chess Records – music that always has way way more to offer than you might think! Sure, some of Chuck's hits are very familiar – and sure, the man could later be a bit of a parody of himself – but there's no denying the power of this early material, and the revolutionary way Chuck had of playing guitar – rooted in blues, paving the way to rock, and also opening the door to lots more funky soul in years to come! The guitar work alone is worth the price of admission, but the songs and vocals are wonderful too – and the CD features 26 titles that include "Down The Road A Piece", "Mad Lad", "Sweet Little Rock & Roller", "Anthony Boy", "Little Queenie", "Oh Baby Doll", "Confessin The Blues", "Almost Grown", "Jo Jo Gunne", "Wee Wee Hours", "Too Much Monkey Business", and "Brown Eyed Handsome Man". CD

A massive tribute to the long career of Dennis Bovell – the British artist who first rose up in the late 70s group Matumbi, then went on to share his production talents with a host of other artists in the decades that followed! This double-length set brings together a career-spanning set of tracks that all were handled by Bovell – a first half that features his own recordings under a number of groups, and a second half that features Bovell production and studio work with a range of other artists too – including some rare and unissued material, in a package put together by Dennis himself! Titles include the Bovell cuts "Run Rasta Run" with African Stone, "Come With Me" as Dennis Curtis, "The Grunwick Affair" and "Za Lon" with 4th Street Orchestra, "Blood Ah Go Run/Blood Dem (12" mix)" by Matumbi, and cuts "Brain Damage", "Chief Inspector", "Dub Master", "Silly Dub", "Caught You In A Lie", "After Tonight (acoustic version)", "Raindrops", "Eye Water", and "Pow Wow" – all issued under Bovell's name. The second half features titles that include "African Queen" by Errol Campbell, "Africa Is Our Land" by Joshua Moses, "Take Five" by Young Lions, "Portrait Of You" by Gladwin Wright, "Hooked On You" by Delroy Wilson, "Cry" by Angelique, "A Little Way Different/Differentah (12" mix)" by Errol Dunkley with Julio Finn, "Silly Games" by Janet Kay, "Get Up Stand Up" by I Roy, and "Positive Vibrations" by Pebbles. CD

Great early work from the enigmatic Wayne Cochran – a whiter-than-white cat who's most famous for his late 60s run of surprisingly great funk and soul records for Chess and King – heard here on the complete tracks recorded for a variety of different labels in the runup to those years! Some of these tracks have Cochran coming across with more of the rockabilly style you'd expect from his famous coiffure – but there's also plenty of early strands of soul music too – served up in that special blend that always made Wayne Cochran such a popular live act on a variety of different stages throughout the south! The package does great justice to these early years of Cochran – complete with a huge illustrated booklet of notes and details on the singles – material originally issued on labels that include Gala, Confederate, Bethlehem, and Scottie – plus key material recorded for King and Mercury as well. The 2CD package features 42 tracks in all - and titles include "No Return", "Liza Jane", "Think", "You Left The Water Running", "The Coo", "Harlem Shuffle", "Last Kiss", "Little Orphan Annie", "Dreams", "Linda Lu", "Cindy Marie", "Funny Feeling", "Money", "Lights Out", "A-Ok", "Get Down With It", "Somebody Please", and "To Make Me A Man". CD