Blues 45s – but material that's also pretty close to the funky 45 spirit of the 60s too – given that most of these cuts have a pretty raw groove! The blues element usually comes from a guitar or harmonica element, or a way of vocal phrasing – but much of the background instrumentation hits a gritty soul groove that's pretty darn funky overall – a great fusion of modes that must have sounded pretty darn great coming from a jukebox in the back room of some south side nightclub! This second volume is every bit as great as the first – and titles include "Love Is A Serious Thing" by Otis Reed, "Stretchin Out" by Little Sonny, "Lonesome" by Memphis Slim, "Don't Change Your Mind" by TB Fisher, "You Won't Treat Me Right" by TV Slim & His Bluesmen, "Fatten Pin" by Clyde Hopkins, "Dark River" by Freddy Young, "I'm Leaving You" by Bob Reed & His Band, "I Tried" by Larry Davis, "Pickin Heavy" by Joe Scott, "Roll On Train" by Elton Anderson, and "I'm So Tired" by Eddie Bo. CD

A long-overdue second volume to the original Pirate's Choice collection from Studio One – which itself was a bit of a stab at Duke Reid and his Treasure Isle label! Legendary Jamaican producer Clement Dodd serves up a host of lost gems from the Studio One catalog – not hits, but some rare mixes and under-heard tracks – all presented in the kind of format that shows just how deep Dodd's reach was back in the day, and how deep the Studio One vaults are to be turning up greatness like this! Titles include "All The Way" by Willie Williams, "You Hold The Handle" by The Conquerors, "Chinese Beauty" by Lennie Hibbert, "Heart Breaker" by Cool Operator, "Jah Light" by Cedric Im Brooks, "Pirate's Choice" by Brentford Rockers, "Sweet Child" by Freddy McGregor, and "Black Is Black" by Freedom Singers. CD features four bonus tracks – "Plea My Cause" by Main Roots, "Dirty People" by Roy Richards, "Jah Light Dub (dub plate mix)" by Brentford Disco Set, and "Homeward Bound Dub (dub plate mix)" by Freddie & Brentford Rockers. CD

A fantastic collection of male soul tracks from the 60s – and one that really charts a whole new shift in the music – the rise of strong singers who aren't afraid to show their emotions, but with a sophistication that's very different than the earlier years of blues and R&B! There's an adult, mature approach to the songs here – vocalists who are accepting the terms of their heartbreak, or taking stock of their situation – putting forth their feelings strongly and directly, set to top-shelf arrangements that make it clear that they're not really the losers in the game! The set is in the best Ace/Kent tradition – really pulling together a fantastic body of work, mixing familiar and unfamiliar singers, and knocking it out of the park with the overall presentation. Titles include "Like A Big Bad Rain" by Kenny Carter, "They Say I'm Afraid" by Freddy Butler, "Anytime You Want Me" by Garnet Mimms, "A Day Or Two" by Garrett Saunders, "Can't Stand Your Fooling Around" by Gene Burks, "You Are A Lucky So & So"b y Sammy Sevens, "Through A Long & Sleepless Night" by Jimmy Radcliff, "Now You Are Gone" by Brooks O'Dell, "Forget The Girl" by Walter Jackson, and "Lonely People Can't Afford To Cry" by Clyde McPhatter. CD

All the great early albums from Creation Rebel – plus their excellent comeback too! The set begins with Dub From Creation – not just the debut album from Creation Rebel, but also a set that marks the first studio work from the young Adrian Sherwood – part of the long On-U Sound legacy to come, and a wealth of other wonderful music! There's a spareness here that's great – maybe a bit less dark than later Sherwood projects, but no less stark – with melodica and keyboards weaving nicely amidst the dubby rhythms! Titles include "Basic Principals", "Dub Fusion", "Liberation", "Rising Star", "Vision Of Creation", and "Creation In A Iration". Next is Close Encounters Of The Third World – an early part of the On-U Sound legacy, even if the set wasn't issued on the label – a key effort by Creation Rebel that features recording work done both in London and Kingston, layered together in a beautifully dubby way! The sound here is definitely underground – full of message-oriented lyrics from Crucial Tony, who sings in a style that definitely earns him his name – with great melodica and organ flowing through the mix next to Lizard's bass – topped with added horn work from The Arabs in all the right spots! The production is superb – flat on the drums, wide on the sides, which makes for a really wonderful groove – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Conspiring", "Creation Fever", "Natty Conscience Free", and "Joyful Noise". Rebel Vibrations features early production genius from Adrian Sherwood – and a record that sets the tone for all the On-U Sound genius to come! The set's a huge step forward from even the previous excellent Creation Rebel album – as the way the sounds are layered together is incredible – almost modes learned from post-punk production, but used to deliver a pure, righteous dub album – one that drops out all the vocals, and allows you to concentrate even more on the totally wicked instrumentation! The set features stunning drums from Style Scott, heady bass from Lizard, and all sorts of very cool keyboard work from Clifton Morrison – used in these ways that float about like a swarm of sounds, especially when mixed with the melodica of Doctor Pablo. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Diverse Doctor", "Hunger & Strife", "Jungle Affair", "Rebel Vibration", "Black Lion Dub", and "Mountain Melody". Starship Africa is a brilliant Creation Rebel effort for On-U Sound from the dawn of the 80s – landing in the futuristic dub spacecraft that is their Starship Africa – percussion heavy and spaced out ingenuity from Adrian Sherwood & co! Tripped, echoey atmospherics that's cast as a soundtrack to movie that doesn't exist, the music is forward thinking, boundary busting dubby grooves exists out of time and sounds great to this day. Includes "Starship Africa" (Sections 1-5) and "Space Movement" (Sections 1-4). On Psychotic Jonkanoo, Crucial Tony is back in the mix for this righteous early 80s album from Creation Rebel – a set that has Adrian Sherwood only furthering his production genius as he layers together stunning instrumental work from the group! The presence of the vocals has the instrumentation slightly back in the mix – but there's still a great run of rhythms throughout, all driven by the mighty heady basslines of Lizard Logan! There's less keyboards than before, but still some nice electronic bits all over the place – and titles include "The Dope", "African Space", "Threat To Creation", "Highest Degree", "Mother Don't Cry", and "Drum Talk". From 2023, Hostile Environment is the first album in many years from this legendary studio project from On-U Sound and Adrian Sherwood – and one that makes us feel as if the passage of decades hasn't happened at all! Sherwood's production is still wonderful – and, if anything, maybe less showy, or more soulful, or less moody – just something that seems to let the work of the group come through with energy that's wonderfully warm and organic, while still resonating with plenty of touches that will make longtime label fans proud! Vocals are shared between Charlie Eskimo Fox and Mr Magoo, and the set also features guest appearances from Prince Far I and Daddy Freddy – on titles that include "That's More Like It" "Jubilee Clock", "Swiftly", "Stonebridge Warrior", "Crown Hill Road", "The People's Sound", and "Whatever It Takes". CD

Pierre Favre works here in a highly-percussive setting – playing drums, gongs, and cymbals – with additional percussion from Nana Vasconcelos, Paul Motian, and Freddy Studer! LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost live side from one of the most under-recorded geniuses of the tenor sax! Tubby's caught here with an early 60s quintet that features Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, Terry Shannon on piano, Freddy Logan on bass, and Allan Ganley on drums. Ganley's presence is especially welcome here – as it was his drumming during the time that really stretched Tubby out – giving him a more fluidly rhythmic setting in which to work, and which seemed to only spur him onto greater levels of creative improvisation. Tubby plays both tenor and flute on the set – dancing around wonderfully on the set's longer tracks – and the album features the titles "Don't Fall Off the Bridge", "Modes & Blues", "Blue Flues", and "All Of You". CD

A lost bit of Stanley Turrentine funky work – recorded between his years at Blue Note and his time at CTI, and nearly lost to the pages of history! Despite the obscurity, though, the album's a great one – done with these short stomping sort of arrangements that remind us a lot of the work on Blue Mitchell's Bantu Village album, or the style used on some of the Dizzy Gillespie funk sides for Perception! (And honestly, we think there's a lot of Monk Higgins' influence on the set, even though he doesn't seem to be credited.) The group's ultra-hip – with Freddy Robinson on guitar, Wilton Felder on bass, Paul Humphrey on drums, Victor Feldman on vibes, and King Errison on congas – and tracks are short, soulful, and very much to the point! The groove is really surprising – but tremendous – and is as essential to fans of funk as it is to those of Stanley's other work. 5 numbers in all: "Flipped", "I'm The One", "Toe Hold", "I Only Get This Feeling" and "Flipped Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue second volume to the original Pirate's Choice collection from Studio One – which itself was a bit of a stab at Duke Reid and his Treasure Isle label! Legendary Jamaican producer Clement Dodd serves up a host of lost gems from the Studio One catalog – not hits, but some rare mixes and under-heard tracks – all presented in the kind of format that shows just how deep Dodd's reach was back in the day, and how deep the Studio One vaults are to be turning up greatness like this! Titles include "All The Way (alt mix)" by Willie Williams, "You Hold The Handle" by The Conquerors, "Chinese Beauty" by Lennie Hibbert, "Plead My Cause (take 3)" by The Main Roots, "Bongo Skank" by The Soul Rebels, "Heart Breaker" by Cool Operator & The New Establishment, "Jah Light" by Reuben Alexander & The Brentford Disco Set, "Pirate's Choice" by Brentford Rockers, "Sweet Child" by Freddy McGregor, "Dirty People" by Roy Richards, "Father Free Us" by Carlos Malcolm, and both the "original" and "single mix" of "Black Is Black" by Freedom Singers. LP, Vinyl record album

Another funky, funky set with a seedy, seedy cover! Once again, the collection of soulful grooves is a much more palatable affair than you'd expect from the cover – with rare tunes from the 70s scene, mostly with a tip of the hat to the breaks & beats crowd! Tracks include "The Cat" by Calvin Owens, "Hangin' Out" by Freddy Scott, "Happy Soul" by Moon People, "Chinese Chicken" by Duke Williams, "I Got Some" bu Billy Garner, "I Can't Make It Without You" by Shawne Jackson, "Anatadakeno Mono" by Yumi Aria and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Early soul jazz brilliance from a young Gary Bartz – music that pre-dates his Ntu Troup, and his work with Larry Mizell! Libra is fantastic early work from Gary – and probably his rarest record ever! The album was cut at a time when the young Bartz was first coming to prominence in the hip late 60s soul jazz group of Max Roach – and Bartz's playing at the time is a perfect model of mid-Coltrane searching with some of the tighter sides of soul jazz that were being forged at labels like Blue Note by players like Hank Mobley or Lee Morgan. The record's a masterpiece of youthful soulful energy – and the group includes Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, Albert Dailey on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums, all players who are perfectly matched to fit Bartz's stridently creative vision. His solos on alto are impeccable – some of the most meaningful we've ever heard on the instrument from the time – and the album's a great one all the way through! Titles include "Air & Fire", "Eastern Blues", "Libra", "Freedom Of The Day", and "Cabin In The Sky". Another Earth is amazing too – one of the first that Gary Bartz ever cut – done during a time when he'd been working with Max Roach and a super-hip group of younger soul jazz players who would go onto shape the sound of the 70s. Bartz leads a group that includes Stanley Cowell, Freddy Waits, Charles Tolliver, Pharoah Sanders, and Reggie Workman – and the music sounds like it was lifted from one of the best albums on Strata East from the 70s. There's no funk, no vocals, no weird rhythms – just pure spiritual jazz, played to perfection, and filled with a creative vitality that most of the players had lost a few years later. Tracks include the album-side "Another Earth", plus "Dark Nebula", "UFO", and "Perihelion & Aphelion". Note: CD omits the track "Disjunction" from Libra – due to space restrictions. CD

Early soul jazz brilliance from a young Gary Bartz – music that pre-dates his Ntu Troup, and his work with Larry Mizell! Libra is fantastic early work from Gary – and probably his rarest record ever! The album was cut at a time when the young Bartz was first coming to prominence in the hip late 60s soul jazz group of Max Roach – and Bartz's playing at the time is a perfect model of mid-Coltrane searching with some of the tighter sides of soul jazz that were being forged at labels like Blue Note by players like Hank Mobley or Lee Morgan. The record's a masterpiece of youthful soulful energy – and the group includes Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, Albert Dailey on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums, all players who are perfectly matched to fit Bartz's stridently creative vision. His solos on alto are impeccable – some of the most meaningful we've ever heard on the instrument from the time – and the album's a great one all the way through! Titles include "Air & Fire", "Eastern Blues", "Libra", "Freedom Of The Day", and "Cabin In The Sky". Another Earth is amazing too – one of the first that Gary Bartz ever cut – done during a time when he'd been working with Max Roach and a super-hip group of younger soul jazz players who would go onto shape the sound of the 70s. Bartz leads a group that includes Stanley Cowell, Freddy Waits, Charles Tolliver, Pharoah Sanders, and Reggie Workman – and the music sounds like it was lifted from one of the best albums on Strata East from the 70s. There's no funk, no vocals, no weird rhythms – just pure spiritual jazz, played to perfection, and filled with a creative vitality that most of the players had lost a few years later. Tracks include the album-side "Another Earth", plus "Dark Nebula", "UFO", and "Perihelion & Aphelion". Note: CD omits the track "Disjunction" from Libra – due to space restrictions. CD

A great little session of chamber-type jazz – and the only record we've ever seen by drummer Freddy Merkle. The set is very much in the manner of some of the other tightly-arranged RCA sessions from the mid 50s – with a style that's kind of "New York modern", in a similar mode to the work of Hal McKusick. Pianist Bill Potts wrote and arranged the sessions, and most tracks are relatively short, but still have strong breakaway solos. Half the material's played by a 10-tet, and the rest are played by Merkle's core quintet, with Potts on piano and Earl Swope on trombone. Titles include "Proto Cool", "Shhhh!", "DC Current", "Lunch Box", "Pernod 806", and "Pottsville, USA". CD

With Buck Clayton, Eddie Durham, Freddy Green, Walter Page, and Joe Jones on the 1938 sessions, and Bill coleman, Dicky Well,s Joe Bushkin, John Simmons, and joe Jones on the 1944 sessions. LP, Vinyl record album

Freddy Cole serves up a tribute to his famous brother Nat – in a small combo set that also features some nice tenor work from Houston Person and Harry Allen too! Cole's a singer who's ultimately had a lot more of a career than Nat – and we're not entirely sure why he's so often lumped together in settings like this – but the record's a real testament to Freddy's talents in the way he doesn't slavishly repeat Nat's phrasing, and instead makes these classic Cole tunes very much his own. The more jazz-based presentation helps a lot with that – and in addition to the tenor solos, the record also features work from Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Josh Brown on trombone, Randy Napoleon on guitar, and John DiMartino on piano. Titles include "Love Is The Thing", "Jet", "Exactly Like You", "That's My Girl", "The Best Man", and "Maybe It's Because I Love You Too Much". CD

A wonderful set from this cool Australian combo – and one that offers up the group in two nicely different modes! Side one has The Three Out sounding wonderful as a trio – with sublime soul-styled piano from a very young Mike Nock, and exceptional work on bass from Freddy Logan – whose sound gives the record this deep bottom right from the start, and puts the group on a par with a rare few American trios – like the Three Sounds on Blue Note! Side two gets even more interesting, as the group are joined by four additional Australian jazz men – all horn players who really expand the groove, and get in some wonderful solos too – a lineup that includes the great Don Burrows on alto and baritone, Erroll Buddle on tenor, and both Ron Falson and Colin Jones on trumpets. Burrows and Buddle sound deeper and more soulful than usual, and really hit the groove laid down by the trio – and titles include "New Jade", "Sittin In Blues", "Nock Out", "Loganberries", "Dizzy Pipe", and "I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album