... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album of Latiny grooves from Diz! The disc takes off from the soulful/modal mood of the early 60s groups with Lalo Schifrin and Kenny Barron – and features a young Mike Longo crafting some fantastic lines on piano, stretched out over tight rhythms on electric bass and drums, with Dizzy soloing on trumpet, and James Moody adding in washes of color and emotion on alto, tenor, and flute. The best tracks are long groovers that really show the group stretching out – especially on the album's 16 minute reading of Dizzy's classic "Kush", the title track "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac", and a great version of "Mas Que Nada"! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... Cassette

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the expanded score, alternate takes, and the original 1992 soundtrack album. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Another pretty great set from Dobie, and actually with a bit less of a country soul feel and a bigger, more freewheeling sound overall – some big horn section- backed tunes, to grittier soul, to more laidback numbers. Includes "Hey Dixie", "How Can You Live All Alone", "Watch Out For Lucy", "Roll On Sweet Mississippi", Allen Toussaint's "Performance" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... CD

Teddy Riley's second LP with Guy, one of many groups he held the helm for, laying down the blueprint for New Jack Swing, the sound that would rule modern chart soul for years. Like some of the other music of that era, this LP sounds a lot better to us now than it did then, when we had to act all hard and pump NWA from our jeeps. 12 tracks in all, including "Wanna Get With U", "Teddy's Jam 2", "Let's Chill", "D-O-G Me Out", "The Future" and "Let's Stay Together". Cassette

One of Guy's first big hits, and proof that Teddy was setting his crossover sights on the right target! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A stone cold classic from Teddy Riley! Forget what you might think about the cliches of New Jack Swing, because this record is a landmark of modern soul, one of the freshest R&B albums from the 80s, and it still sounds great today. After starting things out with Wrecks N Effect, Riley moved over to Guy – who really made his hip-hop heavy New Jack sound work great, because they had much better vocal chops than earlier groups, and they could fuse a tight harmony to the funky sound in style that not only got them loads of airplay (and record sales!), but which inspired a whole generation of American soul. This first album's their best, and it includes lots of nice smooth jammers – like "Spend The Night", "Piece of My Love", "Teddy's Jam", "Groove Me", and "Goodbye Love". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked late 70s work from Merle Haggard – with titles that include "Got Too Lonely This Morning", "I Can't Get Away", "I Must Have Done Something Bad", "Red Bandana", "I Didn't Mean To Love You", and "Roses In The Winter". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

Features amazing synth work by Jan Hammer – and additional tracks by Glenn Frey, Chaka Khan, Phil Collins, Grandmaster Melle Mel, and Tina Turner. LP, Vinyl record album

36 tracks over two CDs featuring work by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra plus small and midsize groups including his quartet, quintet, and sextet. Players include Kenny Dorham, Charles Mingus, Johnny Griffin, Arnett Cobb, and Leonard Feather. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

At the time of this album, Johnny Hartman definitely was the voice that is – a singer with a new level of maturity for the 60s, and a voice that's far more masculine than the geeky look of the photo on the cover! Hartman's sound here is smooth and warm, but never in a too-commercial way – a great antidote to some of the bigger singers of his generation, and cast perfectly here in some lightly jazzy arrangements by Bob Hammer. A few tracks feature backing by a quartet led by Hank Jones – and the rest feature a slightly larger group with 2 guitars and some nice Latin percussion. Titles include "Funny World", "Waltz For Debbie", "It Never Entered My Mind", "Let Me Love You", "My Ship", "The Day The World Stopped Turning", "Slow Hot Wind", and "The More I See You". CD

Great later Coleman Hawkins on Impulse – just the sort of deep-toned, soulfully-blown record that makes all his sessions for the label so great! Hawk's very firmly in the lead on that classic tenor of his – but the rest of the lineup keeps things swinging too – with Snooky Young and Bill Berry on trumpets, Urbie Green on trombone, Barry Harris on piano, and Eddie Locke on drums. The best tracks are the sparest – the album's quartet readings of "Out of Nowhere" and "Indian Summer" – but the rest of the material features some nice gutsy solos from Hawk too, and other tracks include "Bean's Place", "Marchetta", and "She's Fit". CD

Stunning work from the great Dale Hawkins – a singer who made some of the hardest, fiercest rock and roll on Chess Records in the 50s! Dale hailed from Louisiana, where much of this music was cut – but he also worked with Chess up in Chicago, where he seems to have picked up some slight bluesy currents in his rhythms. Yet even on his own, and even on the early material recorded in Shreveport, Hawkins has a hell of a sound – a blend of R&B and rockabilly that was forged way down in the swamps, and came back bubbling up with a hell of a lot of power! CD features 20 tracks in all – including "Suzie Q", "Little Pig", "Tornado", "Juanita", "Baby Baby", "Four Letter Word", and "Ain't That Lovin You Baby". CD

Drummer Roy Haynes always brings something great to the table for any album he does as a leader – and this record is no exception! Here, the "added something" is the presence of Roland Kirk on reeds – offered a key early chance to express his most modern ideas in the freedom of Haynes' group – working alongside Tommy Flanagan on piano and Henry Grimes on bass, in what was easily one of the hippest groups to record for Impulse in the early 60s! The record's filled with wonderful material – and a mix of originals and standards done with a very twisted edge – all with great interplay between Kirk's quirky sax work and Roy Haynes' amazing drumming – often changing up timings and rhythms with ease, and really matching Kirk's quirky energy for the set. Titles include "Moon Ray", "Raoul", "Snap Crackle", and "Long Wharf". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Produced by Kenny Parker. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The brilliant bluesy side of Hendrix – great stuff recorded from '66-'70 – including his most blues based originals and incredible covers! Bluesy it is, but it's also Jimi – with the soaring, loose and massively influential lead guitar grooves and many of which went unreleased until the 90s – and remains among the most essential of posthumous Hendrix releases. Includes "Hear My Train A Comin'" (acoustic and electric versions), "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Catfish Blues", "Red House", "Voodoo Chile Blues", "Mannish Boy", "Once I Had A Woman", "Jam 292" and "Electric Church Red House". CD

... CD

Experience Hendrix – a phrase that's become a calling card for the proper presentation of the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix, but which first appeared here on a classic collection of his most famous tracks! The set's about as strong as you might expect from a Hendrix "best of" – no missing moments, and no sleepers either – just pure fire on vocals and guitar, on titles that include "Hey Joe", "All Along The Watchtower", "Purple Haze", "Fire", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Stone Free", "Crosstown Traffic", "Manic Depression", "If 6 Was 9", "Foxy Lady", "Bold As Love", "Freedom", "Star Spangled Banner", "Night Bird Flying", "Angel", "Voodoo Child", and "Castles Made Of Sand". CD

... CD

Commemorative issue for the 30th anniversary of Woodstock. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Titles include "Ezy Ryder", "Midnight", "Room Full Of Mirrors", "Angel", "Belly Button Window", "New Rising Sun", "In From The Storm", "Drifting", and "Night Bird Flying". CD

... CD

Not experienced? Well, this album will help push you over the top – as it's done for decades of listeners from the heyday of young Jimi Hendrix all the way up to the present! The set's a classic through and through – a blueprint not just for the genius of Hendrix, but for generations of guitar heroes to come – as you might expect with a lineup that includes "Hey Joe", "Manic Depression", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire", "Third Stone From The Sun", "Are You Experienced", and "Purple Haze". CD

The Jimi Hendrix Experience at their most classic! Tripped out bluesy cosmic rock ferocity and great songs, too – firing on all cylinders here on the middle record of their ultra epic three LP series of unimpeachable greatness. Titles include "EXP", "Up From The Skies", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Castles Made Of Sand", "She's So Fine", "One Rainy Wish", "Bold As Love" and more. CD

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to comeout in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that include s"Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". CD

A massive amount of music that definitely lives up to its title – not the debut album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but instead 4CDs' worth of rare music, both live and studio – more than enough to deeply enrich your experience of the music of Jimi Hendrix! The package is a real delight to those who've been trying to track down bits like these on bootlegs over the years – a fully-licensed package put together with the Experience Hendrix folks, filled with unreleased alternates, live recordings, unusual mixes, and more! The set features a whopping 56 rare tracks, four whole new songs mixed with live tracks and alternates – and an 80 page booklet of rare photos and notes on the tracks. Titles include live versions of "Little Wing", "Red House", "Purple Haze", "All Along The Watchtower", "In From The Storm", "Fire", and "The Wind Cries Mary" – plus unreleased recordings of "Little Wing", "Slow Blues", "If 6 Was 9", "Title #3", "Hey Joe", "Highway Chile", and "Room Full Of Mirrors" – and alternate versions of "Sweet Angel", "Gloria", "Message To Love", and lots more! CD

... CD

Completely charming work from the great Dan Hicks – one of the few cats who could make us like music like this so much! Dan sings and plays rhythm guitar – and the group also features vocals from Maryann Price and Naomi Eisenberg – that lovely pair whose harmonies with Hicks really helped the group find their sound! As before, instrumentation is all acoustic, but used in these jazzy ways that are very unique – not folk, not string band, nor swing – but something very unique, and a real breath of fresh air in the 70s scene! Titles include "Long Come A Viper", "It's Not My Time To Go", "My Old Timey Baby", "Lonely Madman", "Cowboy's Dream No 19", and "Payday Blues". CD

The great Dan Hicks at the height of his powers – working in a sublime acoustic mode that weaves together strands of gypsy swing, American roots, harmony vocals, and plenty more too – all in a mode that's lean and timeless, and which was one of the hipper new sounds on the west coast scene of his generation! Dan works with great support from vocalists Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – alongside instrumentation that includes guitar, bass, violin, mandolin, and plenty of percussion – all wrapped up with a sublime sound that has all the elements resonating together wonderfully! Titles include a great remake of his earlier gem "I Scare Myself" – plus "You Got To Believe", "O'Reilly At The Bar", "Moody Richard", "The Laughing Song", "Canned Music", "Skippy's Farewell", "Fujiyama", "Woe The Luck", and "I'm An Old Cowhand". CD

A nice little 60s album by Johnny Hodges – one of the few post-Verve sessions that has him still playing in the hard swinging Ellingtonia small combo mode of the 50s! Players are all strong – and include Jimmy Jones, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, Harry Carney, and Paul Gonsalves – and the tracks are mostly older numbers, but redone here with a bit more 60s bounce. Hodges' alto is, as ever, great – and titles include "Everybody Knows", "The Jeep Is Jumpin", "Main Stem", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", and "Open Mike". CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

With 16 tracks including "Back Biters And Syndicators", "Mr. Lucky", "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer", "Shake It Baby", "Motor City Is Burning", and "Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang". CD

... CD

Although Thelma's best known for her grooves from earlier years, she still sounds plenty darn great on this sweet set from the mid 80s – a bouncy, buoyant batch of tunes that updates the rhythms a bit, but still serves up plenty of her classic-styled vocals! Backings are heavy on beats and keys, and with production by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Monte Moir, Glen Ballard, and Dennis Lambert, there's a definite electro pop sensibility bubbling through many of the tunes – a style that's often forceful, even when subtle – slightly stiff on the rhythms, but in ways that make Thelma's warm vocals sound even more powerful. Titles include "I Guess It Must Be Love", "Fantasy & Heartbreak", "I'd Rather Spend The Bad Times With You", "Shake You", "Generate Love", and "Love Is A Dangerous Game". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Paul Jackson Jr on guitar. CD

A killer collection of Howlin Wolf material for Chess records – with two unreleased tracks, some rare interview material, and other rare cuts too! CD

Promo only live version with the Beasties on vocals. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

Includes 48 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

Fantastic bit of lost Chicago jazz, featuring an incredibly tight and soulful combo made up of a bunch of obscure players who never really made it otherwise. The group features George Patterson on alto and soprano, Charles Kinnard (not Kynard) on tenor, Cleo Griffin on trumpet, and Tom Washington on piano. The set includes a number of incredible originals by the group which have sort of a late Horace Silver sound, but with a soulful Coltraney twist in parts. Cuts include "Sadder Days", "Time is of the Essence", and "Our Mambo", and a great cover of the theme from "The Knack"! Some tracks have a vocal group behind the combo, but they have a swingin' sound, and they're not on all tracks. One of our favorite lost albums ever! CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

44 tracks on 2CDs – including some previously unreleased tracks! CD

A really unique album from the great Etta Jones – a session recorded down in Muscle Shoals, and not in Chicago – a setting that gives James an extra sort of deep soul power! The backing is nicely different than some of the other Chess material – killer work from the legendary Fame Studios lineup that included Barry Beckett on organ, Charles Chalmers on tenor, and Roger Hawkins on drums – all coming together with the great Rick Hall at the production helm! Etta's back in hard-belting R&B-tinged territory here – a bit more sophisticated than the 50s, with a good mix of hard soul numbers and ballads, opening up in some southern territory that really suits her well. Titles include "The Same Rope", "Watch Dog", "Tell Mama", "I'd Rather Go Blind", "Just A Little Bit", and "Don't Lose Your Good Thing". CD adds a whopping 10 bonus tracks to include other material recorded by Etta for the album – issued only on singles during the 60s, or never issued until this CD. Additional tracks include "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", "Misty", "I've Gone Too Far", "You Took It", "I Worship The Ground You Walk On", and "You Got It". CD

... CD

... Cassette

... CD

A wonderful early record from Elton John – recorded live in the studio, and with a freer, more open vibe than some of his other albums! The approach is wonderful – and really showcases that sort of special spirit that Elton was creating with the group – but at a grittier level that maybe even ties the whole sound even more strongly to his American inspirations. Titles include a very long version of "Burn Down The Mission" – plus "Bad Side Of The Moon", "Take Me To The Pilot", "Sixty Years On", "Can I Put You On", and "Honky Tonk Women". CD