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A bigger step into a piano led jazzy style from Allen Toussaint – grooving in a timeless Crescent City influenced sound – a wonderful record, one we'll go back to for years to come! Allen's been a huge part of the New Orleans musical landscape for many, many years, and it's not a stretch to imagine he's had the laidback, but evocative jazz of the territory in his blood for just as long – so it's a wonder that he hasn't made a record like this before now. There's nothing cliche or cheesy in Allen's work here, which has kind of an after hours vibe that suits it well, and he's put together an outstanding group of players. Marc Ribot is on guitar, Don Byron on clarinet, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, David Piltch on upright bass, Jay Bellarose on drums, and guests Joshua Redman on tenor sax and Brad Mehldau on piano. Titles include "Egyptian Fantasy", "Dear Old Southland", "St James Infirmary", "Singin' The Blues", "Winin' The Blues", West End Blues", "Blue Drag", "Bright Mississippi", "Day Dream", "Solitude" and more. CD

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Music from Garfield Akers, Kid Bailey, William Harris, Blind Willie Reynolds, Arthur Petties, Blind Joe Reynolds, Mississippi Jook Band, Geeshie Wiley, Jelly Jaw Short, King Solomon Hill, Freddie Spruell & more. CD

Orrin Evans on piano, Madison Rast on bass, and Byron Landham on drums. CD

A host of southern soul tracks – all presented here in versions that have never been issued before – as they're all the original takes of the tunes that were first tone for Ace Records of Mississippi! You'll recognize a few of these tunes, which sound different in the earlier takes – and there's also plenty of other more obscure numbers you won't know at all – served up in modes that bridge the New Orleans soul and deeper Mississippi music that Ace did so well at the end of the 50s. CD features 24 tracks in all – and titles include "I Was Wrong" by Roland Cook, "Can't Let You Go" by Albert Scott, "Heaven Came Down" by Calvin Spears, "Mr Blues" by Joe & Ann, "I Know" by Bobby Marchan, "Blessed Are These Tears" by Joe Tex, "Gee Baby" by Joe & Ann, "Yes I Got You" by Chuck Carbo, "Honey Honey" by The Supremes, "Teenage Rock" by Little Booker, and "My Love Is Strong" by Earl King. CD

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". CD

A strong collection of (mostly) early-to-mid 90s recordings by Mississippi blues legend Junior Kimbrough – compiling his Fat Possum recordings and as a set that really is essential! It includes recordings captured Junior's Juke Joint in Chulahoma, MS, home recordings and more – raw and right in Junior's unflinching element. Includes the great opener "Release Me" with Charlie Feathers – recorded in 1969 – and the subsequent 90s material sounds right at home with it . . .pretty amazing! Other tracks include "All Night Long", "Meet Me In The City", "Old Black Mattie", "I'm Leaving You Baby", "Keep On Braggin'", "Tramp", "Sad Days Lonely Nights", "Most Things Haven't Worked Out", the bone-chilling title track and more. CD

A lost Thelonious Monk treasure from the 60s – a really open-ended live set recorded in LA in 1964, but not issued by Columbia until the early 80s – making the package a wonderful re-discover of Monk's genius during these years! The tunes are much more freewheeling than some of the studio work cut by Monk's quartet at the time – stretched out takes on Monkish favorites, played by Thelonious on piano, Charlie Rouse on tenor, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – all with plenty of room for extended solos. This wonderful 2CD package brings together the complete recordings from the show – offering up many tracks in their full recorded versions, and adding in a few unreleased tracks too – titles that include "Bemsha Swing", "Blue Monk", "Well You Needn't", "Misterioso", "Gallops Gallop", "Teo", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", "All The Things You Are", "Blues Five Spot", "Evidence", "Bright Mississippi", and "Nutty". CD

A lost treasure from the legendary Thelonious Monk – a live date recorded in Paris at the end of the 60s – late in Monk's life, and every bit as wonderful as his famous 60s studio work with his quartet! Of that group, only Charlie Rouse remains on tenor sax – but Rouse is more than enough to make things great, and the interplay between his tenor and Monk's piano is completely sublime – full of angular movements, underscored with plenty of soul – and given support from Nate Hygelund on bass and either Paris Wright or Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a rough edge to the music that's really great – that sharper, more sinister vibe that Monk could have in a live setting – and titles include "Light Blue", "Bright Mississippi", "I Mean You", "Ruby My Dear", "I Love You Sweetheart Of All My Dreams", "Crepuscule With Nellie", and "Nutty". CD

Features "Hard Times", "Never In My Life", "Spark", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", "Nantucket Sleighride", "Mississippi Queen" and more – 14 tracks in all! CD

A much better record than you'd expect from the somewhat cheesy cover – one of Duke Pearson's funkiest sessions ever, and a hard swinging big band set with a great late 60s feel! The group is all-class all the way – with players that include Pearson, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Marvin Stamm, Julian Priester, Frank Foster, and Jerry Dodgion – and the tracks are short, but with an expansive groove that takes this one way past regular big band jazz, and into the mode of some of the hipper European groups at the time. Includes the classic track "Groundhog", which has a nice funky break on it – plus the cuts "New Girl", "Bedouin", "New Time Shuffle", and "Mississippi Dip". CD

A much better record than you'd expect – one of Duke's funkiest sessions, and a hard swinging big band set with a great late 60s feel! The group is all-class all the way – with players that include Pearson, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Marvin Stamm, Julian Priester, Frank Foster, and Jerry Dodgion – and the tracks are short, but with an expansive groove that takes this one way past regular big band jazz, and into the mode of some of the hipper European groups at the time. Includes the classic track "Groundhog", which has a nice funky break on it – plus the cuts "New Girl", "Bedouin", "New Time Shuffle", and "Mississippi Dip". Plus, this CD also features 6 bonus tracks lifted from the album Now Hear This – an equally great album in a similar mode, with titles that include "Make It Good", "Minor League", "Disapporachment", "Tones For Joan's Bones", and "The Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

A rootsy exploration of themes from the Civil Rights movement by Mavis Staples – getting the Anti treatment here with some real back-to-basics production from Ry Cooder! The sound is possibly even more down home than any of Mavis solo work from years back – certainly more so than her classy 70s soundtrack efforts, and even her earliest work for Stax – almost in an imagined place that jumps backwards to the sound of the earliest Staple Singers albums on Vee Jay, then brings in a bit of Cooder-esque soul to fill things up. Backing vocals on some tracks are by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and by a trio of backing singers on others – and titles include "Down In Mississippi", "Eyes On The Prize", "99 & 1/2", "This Little Light Of Mine", "On My Way", "I'll Be Rested", and "My Own Eyes". CD

The complete Monument recordings of southern soul-tinged swamp rock trailblazer Tony Joe White – in a wonderful box set from the deep catalog explorers at Rhino Handmade! Swamp Rock contains everything from the Black & White, Continued and Tony Joe LPs – with dozens of previously unreleased work from the era. Unlike the most famous dude we can think of who wears the swamp rock genre tag, Tony Joe White really was reared in the swamp country of Louisiana – and genuineness shows on these fine recordings! His vocals here have a bit of that laconic storyteller vibe of a Bobby Bare type character – but the production and arrangements have a real feel for the Stax and Muscle Shoals sounds. It's a blend of styles that's quite unique – and well worth rediscovery! Includes all the tracks from Tony Joe's 3 LPs for Monument plus a swampful of great bonus numbers from those sessions and more – a whopping 81 tracks on four CDs! Disc one includes the Black & White LP and much more: "Willie And Laura Mae Jones", "Soul Francisco", "Whompt Out On You", "Wichita Lineman" and more. Disc 2 features the Continued LP and more: "Elements And Things", "Woodpecker", "Old Man Willis", "Woman With Soul" and much more. Disc 3 includes the Tony Joe LP tracks and more: "Stud-Spider", "Widow Wimberly", "Save Your Sugar For Me", "Hard To Handle" and more. Disc 4 includes a slew of previously unreleased material cut at Barclay Studios in Paris, plus live work from Tony Joe at the Isle Of Wight: titles include "Mississippi Delta", "Chain Of Blues", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown" and more from the Barclay sessions, plus "Boom Boom", "I Want You", "Groupy Girl" and more from Isle Of Wight. CD

Sonny Boy Williamson on vocals and harmonica – in a set of small group recordings done in Mississippi! CD

Features: Lonnie Johnson, Blind Willie McTell, Charley Patton, Mississippi John Hurt, Bumble Bee Slim and many others! 103 tracks across 4 discs. CD

With the Johnson Boys, Andrew & Jim Baxter, the Mississippi Mud Steppers, Tommie Bradley, Alabama Sheiks, Whistler & His Jug Band, Frank Stokes, Mobile Strugglers, Tennessee Chocolate Drops, Kansas City Blues Strummers, Henry Sims and more. CD

A really unusual record for the Malaco label – and one that represents a time when the Mississippi deep soul powerhouse was coming to terms with some of the dancefloor changes of the time! Frederick Knight produced – and side one has him giving James Bradley a few surprising club cuts that almost feel more like Miami groovers of the time – balanced out nicely with some slower-steppers on side two, which really seem perfect for Bradley's mix of soul and sophistication! These cuts are wonderful – really overlooked gems that often sound little like Malaco work, and maybe more like some of the modern soul moments on labels like Capitol or Arista at the time. Titles include "Wrapped Up In Your Love", "I'm In Too Deep", "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", "Knowing You're My Everything", "Never Too Far Away", and "Let's Do It Together". CD

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". CD

Three full albums from Juicy Lucy – plus bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled debut from Juicy Lucy – an American act who made a trip to the London scene in the late 60s, where they found a way to forge a whole bunch of influences into a very unique groove! Had they stayed back home in Cali, Juicy Lucy might have gravitated towards the Bay Area scene, and ended up sounding a bit freakier and hippieish – but in London, they sharpened their sound, unleashed some deeper bluesy currents, and put the whole thing together with a mix of wit and flair that really set them apart! The group boasts great lead vocals from Ray Owen, a cool mix of electric and acoustic sax parts from Chris Mercer, strong lead guitar from Neil Hubbard, and a range of great sounds from Glenn Ross Campbell – who uses steel guitar and mandolin in ways that are very different than American groups of the time. Forgive the album its quickly-dated, exploitative cover – because it's got a lot more to offer than that – and titles include "Chicago Northwestern", "Train", "Nadine", "Mississippi Woman", "She's Mine She's Yours", and "Just One Time". Lie Back & Enjoy It is hard and heavy work from Juicy Lucy – a group who are even stronger here on this second set than on their debut – effortlessly spinning out lines that are very much in the best hard rock modes of the period, but which also retain some nice bluesy influences as well! The group's a sextet – and in addition to some very unique vocals from singer Paul Williams, who also plays piano and congas, the set also has some surprisingly nice use of steel guitar and mandolin, but never in ways that sound like the instruments might in the handling of some of the Cali crowd at the time. Lead guitar is from Mick Moody, sax and keyboard lines are from Chris Mercer, and titles include "Pretty Woman", "Built For Comfort", "Whisky In My Jar", "Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham", "Thinking Of My Life", and "Willie The Pimp". For Get A Whiff Of This, the title's a bit of a joke, especially in relation to the cover – but Juicy Lucy come on strong here, with a searing sound that shows that they're way past the novelty of the image on the front! Over the course of the previous records, the group really honed their unique blend of American blues and Brit hard rock inspiration – very well-focused here, with a sound that paves the way for some of the bigger crossover acts that would soon dominate American radio in the mid 70s – something the group unfortunately never got the chance to do. Titles include "Mr Skin", "Midnight Rider", "Mr A Jones", "Sunday Morning", and "Jessica". 2CD set features the bonus b-side tracks "Walking Down The Highway" and "I Am A Thief". CD

It's a long way from The Mamas & The Papas by this time for John Phillips – standing on the beach on the cover, all bedraggled in a dirty hat and coat, with a long beard, and a worn-out look on his face – but that change turns out to be a great one for him, as you'll hear on the set! The style here is much rougher and earthier than the sweeter pop of the 60s – a batch of Laurel Canyon folksy numbers that show the hipper side of Phillips that didn't always get expressed in his former pop years. Titles include "April Anne", "Captain", "Drum", "Someone's Sleeping", "Holland Tunnel", and "Mississippi". Plus, the CD features 8 more bonus tracks, most of which are previously unreleased – "Shady", "Lonely Children", "Lady Genevieve", "The Frenchman", "16mm Baby", and "Black Girl". CD

A real killer from the great Otis Spann – one of his tightest, funkiest records of the 60s – recorded in Chicago with a very Chess-like vibe! Otis is in the lead on piano and vocals – plus a bit of Hammond too – and the small combo backing is nice and tight, with Lonnie Taylor on drums, Barry Melton on lead guitar, and additional guitar from Luther Johnson to help fit into the groove! Lucille Spann sings on two tracks, but most of the energy comes from Otis' bold lines on piano, and his raw, soulful singing – on cuts that include "The New Boogaloo", "Home To Mississippi", "Some Day", "Twisted Snake", "Mule Kicking IN My Stall", and "Blind Man". CD

The complete early recordings of Al Wilson – a set that features one full album, plus 11 more bonus tracks! At the core of the set is Searching For The Dolphins – a wonderful early album from soul singer Al – a well-crafted mix of modes that really stands out in late 60s pop – and which showed that Wilson was quite different than most of his contemporaries! The album's got some very hip production by Johnny Rivers – who was really stretching out his own sound at the time – and arrangements are by Gene Page and Marty Paich, who create a sublime blend of jazz, soul, and strings – plus a slight undercurrent of more righteous modes from the late 60s post-folk underground! In addition to straighter soul, Wilson sings a mix of hip contemporary compositions by Fred Neil, Jimmy Webb, and others – showing a depth of sound that's really wonderful. Instrumentation's by a small combo that includes Hal Blain on drums, Larry Knechtel on keyboards, and some especially great flute from Jim Horn – whose sound here really brings some dark moments to the record. Titles include a classic version of Oscar Brown Jr's "The Snake" – which has gone onto become something of a dancefloor stormer over the years – plus the cuts "Shake Me Wake Me", "I Stand Accused", "Who Could Be Lovin You", "Brother Where Are You", "Summer Rain", "Do What You Gotta Do", and a groovy cover of Fred Neil's "The Dolphins". Added to the core album are 11 more bonus tracks – most of which have an even more soul-based sound overall – some of which were issued on the Bell and Carousel labels. Titles include "When You Love", "Now I Know What Love Is", "Mississippi Woman", "Sugar Cane Girl", "You Do The Right Things", "Bachelor Man", and "Falling In Love With You". CD

Hard grooving late 60s blues rock from the great Johnny Winter! Winter's guitar sounds as great here as it does in some of his better known records. The self-titled set is one of Winter's most straight-forwardly bluesy sets, and titles include "I'm Yours And I'm Hers", "Dallas", "Leland Mississippi Blues", "Back Door Friend" and more. CD includes 3 bonus tracks. CD

Music from The Limeliters, A. L. Lloyd And Ewan MacColl, The Tokens, Dave Van Ronk, Jack Elliott, Lester Flatt And Earl Scruggs, Clancy Brothers, Freedom Singers, Peggy Seeger, Mississippi John Hurt, Rooftop Singers, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and more. CD

Amazing music from the depths of the Great Depression, but it's hardly a downer – this is a deeply felt collection of tunes by black & white singers and combos of the 20s & 30s that's cathartic, emotional, and a complete treasure trove! The songs are full of brutal beauty, tragedy, and some dark humor, especially when it gets to the murder ballads – and more than 30 of the 70 songs haven't been reissued before now! This is simply one of the very best sets of archival Americana since the epic CD releases of the Anthology Of American Folk Music. It's really that good! The discs are separated thematically – Man V Machine, Man V Nature, and Man V Man (And Woman, Too) – and titles include "Titanic Blues" by Hi Henry Brown & Charlie Jordan, "The Crash Of The Akron" by Bob Miller, "Wreck Of Old 97" by Skillet Lickers, "The Fatal Wreck Of The Blus" bu Mainer's Mountaineers, "The Story Of The Mighty Mississippi" by Ernest Stoneman, "When The Levee Breaks" by Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie, "The Death Of Floyd Collins" by Vernon Dalhart, "Peddler And His Wife" by Hayes Shepherd, "Frankie" by Dykes Magic City Trio, "Dupree Blues" by Willie Walker. 70 tracks on 3CDs! CD

Music from Woody Guthrie, Norman Blake, Mississippi John Hurt, David Bromberg, Etta Baker, Alison Krauss & the Cox Family, Roy Book Binder, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, Boozoo Chavis, Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers, Ted Hawkins, Ted Lundy, Don Stover, Boone Creek & much more. CD

A treasure trove of rare work from the 78rpm generation – including some unissued tracks! Music from the Aiken County String Band, Frank Hutchison, Hersal Thomas, Washington Phillips, Elizabeth Johnson, Clarence Green, Mississippi John Hurt, Whistlin' Alex Moore, Tom Darby & Jimmie Tarlton, Bo Carter, Will Batts, Walter Roland, Pinewood Tom, the Two Charlies, George Curry, Sweet Violet Boys, Little Son Joe & more. CD

Smirk all you want, but the homemade instruments of the jug band scene were pretty revolutionary in their time – and went on to have a huge impact on the sound of rhythms in recorded music – on work like this which would later influence rock and roll! Titles include "This Will Bring You Back" by Carolina Peanut Boys, "Blues Just Blues That's All" by Old Southern Jug Band, "Bottle It Up & Go" by Picaninny Jug Band, "My Good Gal's Gone Blues" by Jimmie Rodgers & The Louisville Jug Band, "The Spasm" by Daddy Stovepipe & Mississippi Sarah, "What's That Tastes Like Gravy" by King David's Jug Band, and "The Jug Band Special" by Whistler & His Jug Band. CD

Titles include "Tube Snake Boogie", "Legs", "La Grange", "Viva Las Vegas", "Sharp Dressed Man", "Tush", "My Head's In Mississippi", "Pearl Necklace", "Got Me Under Pressure", "Cheap Sunglasses", and "Sleeping Bag". CD

Some of the deepest soul to ever come from a Detroit label – a great run of singles cut by Denise LaSalle for the Westbound label – all of them pretty darn wonderful! Denise has roots that start in Mississippi, and she spent plenty of time in Chicago – so by the time she hit Westbound, she had a great interstate approach that really pulled some great styles together! In a way, these sides were crucial in helping push southern soul forward in the 70s – not just in the production, which was tight, but never too smooth – and which helped give her bluesy inflections a hip, modern sort of mode – one that was often well-suited to the subtle gender politics of the tracks too. Ace did a great job with this smoking set – and not only includes all the key singles, both a-sides and b-sides – but even throws in some great notes, and a few rare radio spots too! Titles include "Do Me Right", "Man Sized Job", "Trapped By A Thing Called Love", "Keep It Coming", "Here I Am Again", "My Brand On You", "What Am I Doing Wrong", "Don't Nobody Live Here", and "Your Man & Your Best Friend". CD

Crucial cuts in the development of New Orleans soul – served up here by a singer who was instrumental in setting up the new sound of the city in the 60s! Bobby Marchan's a singer who really got his start during the soul years, unlike some of the R&B contemporaries that moved into New Orleans soul – and right from the start, he had a lean, raw style that was perfect for the new groove that was setting the world on fire – presented here on rare recordings for the Ace label in Mississippi, where he worked with Huey Smith as well – and on tracks recorded up in New York for the legendary Fire Records label of Bobby Robinson – but which were every bit as crucial as material recorded in the Crescent City to the legacy of the Nola groove! The package features 36 tracks in all, including some rare alternate takes – and titles include "Booty Green", "Snoopin & Accusin", "You're Still My Baby (parts 1 & 2)", "I Need Some One", "Yes It's Written All Over Your Face", "Things I Used To Do (parts 1 & 2)", "Look At My Heart", "Give A Helping Hand", "Chickee Wah Wah", "Quit My Job", "Loberta", "Tiddley Wink", "Rockin Behind The Iron Curtain", "I'll Never Let You Go", "Little Girl Of Mine", and "Hush Your Mouth". CD

Legendary Paramount recordings from Charlie Patton – mostly recorded in Richmond, Indiana in 1929 – but easily some of the most important Mississippi blues of the time! The package features a wealth of seminal songs from the June, 1929 session that really helped launch the Patton legacy – tracks that are arguably as important to the development of blues as the work of Robert Johnson, and which quite possibly circulated even more at the time. Patton's got a slightly folksy approach, and a sense of darkness that really makes most of these numbers very riveting, even all these many decades later – an acoustic brilliance that's had folks coming back to his music time and time again over the years.. CD features 20 titles in all – and tracks include "Screamin & Hollerin The Blues", "Pea Vine Blues", "Hammer Blues", "Dry Well Blues", "Poor Me", "Hang It On The Wall", "Down The Dirt Road Blues", "Mississippi Boweavil Blues", and "Tom Rushen Blues". CD

A nicely rootsy set – one that mixes vintage work with new material done in a similar mode – all at a level that criss-crosses between rural blues, trad jazz, and a range of other older styles! The package is maybe less a full compendium of the roots of black music than it is a set that does a good job of changing artists while keeping an eye on a thematic sense of expression – beginning with actual roots, then using roots revival and contemporary material to echo a unified aesthetic! The package has track by track notes, and essays on the music – and the 40 track set features work from Cedric Burnside, Corey Harris & Sharde Thomas, Ranky Tanky, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Lightnin Hopkins, Staple Singers, Bennie Richardson, Golden Eagles, Martin Bogan & Armstrong, Bessie Jones, Skip James, Cephas & Wiggins, Inmate Named Peter, Rev Gary Davis, John Jackson, Odetta, Mississippi John Hurt, Professor Longhair, Campbell Brothers, Dom Flemons, Tuts Washington, and others. CD

A funky 70s classic from Freedom – a group who've got a vibe like some of the best groups on the De-Lite label up north during the 70s, but who issued this overlooked gem on the mostly-southern soul label Malaco Records! The vibe here is a lot more New York than Jackson, Mississippi – and the group have a great way of mixing these sharply funky numbers with some smoother mellow cuts that not only round out the record wonderfully, but also demonstrate that these guys were way more than just another funky 45 combo! Titles include their old school funky classics "Dance Sing Along" and "Get Up And Dance" – plus the great mellow numbers "Summer Memory" and "Wake Up Your Mind" – and the tracks "Farther Than Imagination", "Know You Better", and "You've Just Got To Be The One". CD features bonus tracks – 12" mixes of "Get Up & Dance" and "Dance Sing Along" – plus "Whodat", "At The Party", "The Funktionary", "All For You", and "Come On & Dance". CD