... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A great example of why Little Milton was always one of the few Chicago blues artists who could also break strongly in the soul camp at the time – and a beautifully balanced set that perfectly shows both sides of the Chicago scene of the time! Production is by old Vee Jay maestro Calvin Carter, and arrangements by Gene Barge, who manages to slide effortlessly between blues and soul on the set – almost pushing Milton into Tyrone Davis territory, but keeping things a bit more rougher and down home on some of the other numbers. The sound is wonderful – very deep and rich, and with a sound that's head and shoulders above most other albums of this type in the late 60s. Titles include "Baby I Love You", "If Walls Could Talk", "Things That I Used to Do", "Let's Get Together", "I Play Dirty", "Blues Get Off My Shoulder", "I Don't Know", and "Poor Man". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Big blues from Little Milton, recorded with a mighty big sound as well – thanks to the cool criss-crossing of soul and blues that was going down at Chess Records in the 60s! Milton's got this raw, raspy style in his voice – a nasty edge that mixes perfectly with his own sharp guitar lines – and which gets an extra kick from the production and arrangements of Gene Barge, who still knows how to keep the core combo sound that makes the album cook! Sonny Thompson plays piano on most tracks, and Phil Upchurch adds in a second guitar at times – but the real star of the show is always Milton – shining more brightly here than on most of his later records! The album includes versions of "Please Please Please", "Have Mercy Baby", "Fever", "Sneakin Around", and "Reconsider Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Baaad bluesy work from Little Milton – one of his killers for Stax, and a record that's equally heavy on the soul tip too! There's a strong Memphis vibe going on here – thanks to arrangements from James Mitchell, and backings from the Memphis Horns – who really do a good job of filling in the sound, to take things past the straighter blues mode of Milton's guitar. The vocals are great – raspy, and almost southern soul more than blues – and titles include "You're No Good", "Woman Across The River", "Behind Closed Doors", "Worried Dreamer", and "Hard Luck Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest albums ever cut by Little Milton – done at the end of the 60s with some hard Chicago soul arrangements from Gene Barge, and an overall style that mixes electric blues with some of the hard soul coming from the city's west side scene at the time! The album's much more of a soul album than a blues one – especially in comparison to some of Milton's other work – and titles include "Twenty Three Hours", "Just A Little Bit", "I Can't Quit You Baby", "I'll Always Love You", "Did You Ever Love A Woman", "Spring", "Grits Ain't Groceries" and "You're The One". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from a time when Little Milton was really reviving his sound – at times almost going back to the mix of soul and blues in his roots, but in a different style than at Chess – thanks to the production style of Malaco Records! The label's warm southern glow is just right for the maturing Milton – who's equally great here on the ballads and slow steppers as he is the more blues-based material – on tracks that include include "I'm At The End Of My Rainbow", "Real Good Woman", "Breakaway Clean", "Copyright On Your Love", and "This Must Be The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded in Paris, but one with a great small combo vibe that's right in the spirit of Chicago – work from Lucky Peterson on organ and piano next to the vocals and guitar of Little Milton! LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A beautiful little album, very different than Wayne Shorter's other work, and sort of a "return of the favor" to the nation of Brazil for the country's rich musical influence on his music! Milton Nascimento sings vocals on most cuts, and if anything, the album resembles Nascimento's work of the mid 70s quite strongly – with similar airy arrangements and a very full, polished sound. Brazilian jazz musicians Airto, Roberto Silva, and Wagner Tiso play on the record – which also features work by Herbie Hancock. Titles include "Ponta De Areia", "Tarde", "Miracle Of The Fishes", "From The Lonely Afternoon", and "Ana Maria". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure late 60s session that has R&B genius Roy Milton fronting a small group led by Johnny Otis, and featuring a young Shuggie Otis on guitar! The set's packaged in a "roots of rock" sleeve to cash in on the kids, but it's a pretty nice little set with a stoner R&B sound. Johnny wrote a number of tracks – like "Hush", "Whiskey Drinkin Woman", and "Charleston Boogie" – and the group reprises some of Roy's standards like "So Tired", "Early In The Morning", and "RM Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Johnny's very much in his "revival" mode here – dipping back to his earlier R&B roots, and working with a host of famous older blues singers. The set's got vocals by Roy Milton, Roy Brown, Esther Phillips, Mighty Mouth Evans, Ivory Joe Hunter, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Margie Evans, and Big Joe Turner – and even though Shuggie Otis is on the album, the whole thing's a pretty bluesy affair overall. Titles include "Shuggie's Boogie", "Plastic Man", "Margie's Boogie", "Baby You Don't Know", "Little Esther's Blues", "RM Blues", "Goin Back To LA", "Willie & The Hand Jive", and "Since I Met You Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent session – very much in the mode of Eddie's groundbreaking work from the early 70s, when he was mixing together some incredibly complicated piano lines with newer styles of Latin jazz. The album's about half vocal, half instrumental – with a very strong jazz component that's made even better through the percussion work of Milton Cardona and Francisco Aquabella. Eddie's piano is the real treat, though – and it's incredible on tracks like "Just A Little Dream", "Azucar", "La Libertad", and "Verdict On Judge Street". The album does have one semi-weak number called "Humpty Dumpty", a smoother soul track – but you can skip over it and enjoy the rest of the great jazz! LP, Vinyl record album

One of a number of excellent albums of Brazilian jazz cut by Sarah Vaughan – a surprisingly great move for the singer, whose style had begun to wear thin by the mid 70s. The record's got a pretty faithful sound, and the musicians on the set include Jobim on piano, plus Mauricio Einhorn, Nelson Angelo, and Helio Delmiro – all Brazilian greats in their own right. Danilo Caymmi and Milton Nascimento join in on vocals, and tracks include "The Day It Rained", I Live To Love You", "Roses & Roses", "Bridges", "A Little Tear", and "Courage". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Billy "The Kid" Emerson, Carl Perkins, Billy Lee Riley, Earl Hooker, Ray Harris, Little Milton, Johnny Cash, James Cotton, Howlin' Wolf, Roy Orbison, The Miller Sisters, Rosco Gordon, and Charlie Rich. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning early work from Egberto Gismonti – a really complex little record, and quite different than some of his better-known work as a spare acoustic soloist! Gismonti here is at the helm of a rich array of sounds – at one level, a soulful approach to MPB that rivals the best of Milton Nascimento in the 70s – but at another, filled with sharp changes and complicated arrangements that really move past any easy labels! There's a sense of surprise that really keeps things striking throughout – an avant piano line here, full soaring vocal there, funky electro riff the next moment, and a sensitive jazz solo at another point – always interwoven in ways that make complete sense – even amidst the rich array of sounds and colors. Titles include "Raga", "Baiao Malandro", "Cafe", "Educao Sentimental", "Bodas De Prata", "Critiana", and "As Primaveras". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of classic blues that influenced the heavy rock generation – with older tracks from some of the best Chess artists of the early electric days! Titles include "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" by Muddy Waters, "Don't Start Me Talkin" and "Sad To Be Alone" by Sonny Boy Williamson, "Juke" and "Blues With Feeling" by Little Walter, "I'm A Man" by Bo Diddley, "I Feel So Bad" by Little Milton, and "Moanin For My Baby" and "Red Rooster" by Howlin Wolf. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Frankie Ford, Joe Houston, Young Jessie, Oscar McLollie, Hershel Almond, Jimmy & Johnny, Little Richard, Lee Kristofferson, Teen Queens, Buddy Milton & The Twilighters, Roy Perkins, Johnny Guitar Watson, The Chanters, and Jesse Belvin. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Wynona Carr, Little Richard, Teen Queens, Daddy Cleanhead & The Chuck Higgins Band, Diz & The Doormen, Buddy Milton & The Twilighters, Ann Cole, The Cliques, The Skyliners, Jesse Belvin, Donna Hightower, Jimmy Clanton, and The Chanters. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by ZZ Hill, Little Milton, Denise LaSalle, McKinley Mitchell, Dorothy Moore, Johnnie Taylor, and Latimore. LP, Vinyl record album

A second set of material issued in celebration of the legendary Wattstax concert by Stax Records in LA in 1972 – and a set that mostly features material from the famous show at the Los Angeles Coliseum, but also includes some sly studio material that was pumped up with applause to fit nicely into the mix! Richard Pryor acts as the MC – although his tracks weren't recorded at the actual concert – and as with the original album, there's a mixture of some self-contained "show" passages here, plus individual songs by other artists too! David Porter delivers a mighty batch of tracks that include "Reach Out & Touch", "Ain't That Loving You", and "Can't See You When I Want To" – followed by a Johnnie Taylor show that includes "Steal Away", "Stop Doggin Me", and "Jody's Got Your Girl & Gone". Other live material includes work by Rance Allen Group, Kim Weston, Jimmy Jones, and The Golden 13 – augmented by additional cuts from The Emotions, Mel & Tim, and Little Milton too! LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure west coast set – featuring some very hard-driving big band arrangements, short but with breakout solos that really keep things moving along at a good pace. Murphy wrote and arranged most of the material – cool little offbeat tunes, many with a space theme to match the cover of the album. Players include Frank Morgan, Milt Bernhart, Chico Hamilton, Buddy Colette, and Bob Gordon – and titles include "Lost In A Fugue", "Frantastic", "Frankly Speaking", "Tone Poem", and "Orbit". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little record by Gabor – one that reproduces the kind of groove he was hitting on his classic Impulse albums, a mix of tripped-out modal jazz with exotic influences, and more than a bit of soul. Gabor's reunited here with his old bandmate Charles Lloyd from Chico Hamilton years – and Charles plays flute on a remake of "Sombrero Sam", one of Szabo's nicest tunes. Anthony Ortega plays flute on a version of "Stormy", and another long track features nice keyboards by Tommy Eyre. Also includes a remake of "Spellbinder", a great little tune! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-ever releases in this amazing series – and a smoking batch of great little cuts that mix dope guitar, funky hammond, and odd off-beat grooves in a very nice way! The whole thing's nicely packaged, with a fresh approach to funk tunes that's quite different from a lot of recent compilations we've stocked – and we're still grooving to this one, even though we've played it three times in a row! Tracks include "Petite Soul" by Little Ed, "Contagious" by Kenneth Wells, "Gasoline Alley" by Dave Grusin, "Pick & Shovel" by The Touch, "Mind Blow" by Roger Hamilton Spotts, "Un Homme De Mort" by Michel Legrand, "Chicano Chaser" by Ian Langley, "Studio 69" by The Mohawks, "Soul Thing" by Tony Newman, "It's Your Thing" by The Invaders, and "Move Your Hand" by La Clave. 20 cuts in all! LP, Vinyl record album

Duke Ellington and Mary Poppins? Sounds like a terrible combination – but it's actually pretty darn great! You see, the key words in the title are "plays with" – as Duke takes the core score of the film and, working with Billy Strayhorn, comes up with some groovy little tunes that really depart from the originals – and become perfect backdrops for the modern Ellington genius of the 60s. Solo work on the set is by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, and Harry Carney – and overall, the album's got that nice punchy feel of Ellington's other Reprise sides – and makes especially nice use of the modal quality of some of the tunes from the film. Titles include "Jolly Holiday", "The Life I Lead", "I Love To Laugh", "Stay Awake", "Chim Chim Cheree", and "Feed The Birds". LP, Vinyl record album

Very interesting work from Chico Hamilton – one of his most compelling albums of the 50s! The three "faces" of Chico are as follows: his vocals, his solo percussion, and his quintet. Forget the vocals, because they're just OK (and Chico hardly embarked on a singing career after this one) – and focus on the percussion and quintet sides, because they're totally amazing! The percussion tracks have Chico playing solo, with a really haunting sound to them. There's not a lot of tricks, or pyrotechnics, and his work in this respect almost points the way to later recordings by Andrew Cyrille. The quintet sides are great, too – as this is the point at which Chico's got Eric Dolphy and Dennis Budimir in the group, both of whom draw a good edge on Chico's popular sound of a few years previous. Titles include "No Speak No English Man", "Miss Movement", "Trinkets", "Happy Little Dance", and "Newport News". LP, Vinyl record album

A split LP that offers some key tracks from the classic Dave Mackay & Vicky Hamilton album on Impulse from 1968, plus later piano trio recordings by Dave from 1982! Dave & Vicky are represented here by the first 4 tracks on the record – "Blues For Hari", "Here", Now", and "3 For 5" – and on these tunes, the pair are sort of like a hip version of Jackie & Roy – usually singing together on their tracks, with a mixed male/female vocal approach that sounds totally great – and which really fits the breezy mood of the tunes on the set! Dave himself plays Fender Rhodes and piano – along with an odd little combo that includes flute and tenor played by Ira Schulman, percussion by Francisco Aguabella, and guest sitar by by Ray Neapolitan. Other tracks on the album are all from 1982, and feature Dave in warmer trio context with Andy Simpkins on bass and Joey Baron on drums. Titles include "Hands", "The Andyman Suite", and "Triste". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally excellent bit of funk from Chico Hamilton – working with a great group that more than helps their leader live up to the album's title! The record's a real lost gem – and it's got Chico working in much funkier territory than before, grooving with complicated rhythms, and a heavy sound that features lots of work on organ and guitar. Lowell George (of Little Feat fame) is playing slide guitar in the group, giving the sound a great, muddy propellant – which only gets stronger with the help of Simon Nava and Sam Clayton on congas, plus heavy organ and piano by Stu Garner, Jerry Aiello and Bill Payne. Includes the killer Latin groover "Conquistadores 74", plus "Stu", "Feels Good", "Fancy", "Stacy", Gengis" and "I Can Hear The Grass Grow". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most open-ended Tal Farlow albums for Verve – and a wonderfully laidback set that lets him open up with that incredible tone, taking the electric guitar to a whole new place in jazz, and showing that the instrument has volumes to speak in both phrasing and tone! The group's a quartet – with Gerald Wiggins on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Chico Hamilton on drums – an interesting combo that swings with almost a bit more bite than you'd hear on some other Farlow albums, a sound that's every bit as striking as the album's unique cover image. Tal's sound is tremendous, and right out front in the mix – and titles include "And She Remembers Me", "Little Girl Blue", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "Tal's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set from reedman Charles Lloyd – a set that really pushes forward all the experiments he'd begun in the Chico Hamilton group – and shows a bold move forward for rhythms in 60s jazz! The tracks are long, and spiral out wonderfully – but in ways that are different than those used by other creators of the time – like Eric Dolphy or John Coltrane. Even though leading the group on tenor and flute, Lloyd's got a real sense of rhythm to his playing – echoes of the Hamilton group – but set loose with a stellar quartet of younger players – including Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all perfect choices for inventive music like this! The standout cut is the amazing "Sombrero Sam", a tight little groover that we never tire of – and one that has Jarrett sounding much more in the pocket than you'd ever imagine – and other tracks include "Dream Weaver", "Autumn Sequence", and "Bird Flight". LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment in the career of Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo – a player who'd already been making some great music in the group of Chico Hamilton, but who really cemented his reputation with the sound on this set! Right from the start, Gabor was always a guitarist with something very new, very fresh to offer – an approach that was partly steeped in older European gypsy guitar sounds, but also inflected electrically towards a trippier, more modal, more psychedelic quality – something he'd explore strongly on this sweet little set. The album begins in a bossa mode, then really trips out – as a second guitar weaves lines around Gabor's own – and drums and bass provide a very cool modal groove. Titles include "Los Matodoros", "Corcovado", "O Barquinho", "The Beat Goes On", "Lou-ise", "Space", and "Mizrab". LP, Vinyl record album

An interesting LP, where Bethlehem pulled together two previous 10" sessions led by bassists for one LP! Pettiford's Basically Duike is a beautiful set – ostensibly a session of Ellington material, but one that features some great arrangements that really blow past the obvious! The group's an octet, with Pettiford leading trumpeters Clark Terry & Joe Wilder, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton, and alto saxophonist Dave Schildkraut – with Earl Knight on piano, taking Ellington's place in the arrangements. Titles include 2 Pettiford originals – "Tamalpais" and "Swing Until The Girls Come Home" – plus a Terry number called "Chuckles", and the tracks "Mood Indigo" and "Jack The Bear". The second side is an obscure side from Red Mitchell, a tight little sextet session featuring a group of LA players that includes Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Claude Williamson, Stan Levey and Conte Candoli. The set cooks nicely, a snapping west coast bop side that's hard to come by in any format. Titles include "Happy Minor", "Bluesology", "Kelly Green" and "Scrapple From The Apple". LP, Vinyl record album