A great lost bit of mid 70s Motown – a pair of should-be classic albums by Dynamic Superiors – in a single set! Dynamic Superiors were a great harmony group with an east coast sound – quite different from the usual Motown combo in that their vocals were often allowed very free range, with less of the tightness of the usual Motown group soul album. Ashford & Simpson produced the record – with arrangements by Leon Pendarvis, Richard Tee, and Arthur Jenkins – and the whole thing's a sweet soul treasure that's got some excellent mellow soul cuts! Titles from the self-titled set include "One Nighter", "Don't Send Nobody Else", "Shoe Shoe Shine", "Star of My Life", and "Leave It Alone". Pure Pleasure is another sweet set – arranged with a bit more of a high stepping groove than some of the other Motown work of the time. Backings are handled by a range of talents that includes Paul Riser, William Eaton, Al Gorgoni, and Horace Ott – but the real charm is the way the group's innocent harmony style puts over the lyrics, all of which are very strong tunes written by the team of Ashford & Simpson. Titles include "Face The Music", "Hit & Run Lovers", "Deception", "Pleasure", "Nobody's Gonna Change Me", "Feeling Mellow", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", and "Don't Give Up On Me Baby". CD

A never-heard soundtrack for a never-seen film – and a record that's every bit as funky as better-known sets from the blacksploitation era! Final Solution were a small time group from Chicago's west side in the 70s, but on this wicked little soundtrack they sparkle just as brightly as Isaac Hayes, Willie Hutch, Curtis Mayfield, or any of our favorite soundtrack soul artists from the time – working in a really righteous approach to soul with lots of heavy rhythms on the bottom and rumbling bass in the mix – so that even when the tunes are mellow, there's still a bold, brash sort of power to the set! The vocals are mostly delivered in harmony style, again with a nice edge – a bit like The Impressions work on Three The Hard Way, but with more of an indie soul feel overall, given the production circumstances. Once again, our hats are off to Numero for unearthing this gem – and as usual, the full tale of the group, the movie, and the music is told at length in the accompanying 16 page booklet! Titles include "Brotherman", "Never Coming Back Again", "I Don't Care", "Girl In My Life", "Gotta Get Through To You", "One Day", "I'm Ready For Love", "Theme From Brotherman", "No Place To Run", and "We Can Work It Out". CD

A groundbreaking set of work from the team of Jef Gilson and Hal Singer – a uniquely cross-cultural session recorded in the Paris scene of the 70s, and easily some of the best work ever from both musicians! Singer's probably best remembered on these shores for his older R&B tenor work of the 50s – but sometime during the 60s, he moved over to Paris, where he cut some mighty great music – including the legendary Paris Soul Food album, which predates this one by a few years. Gilson was always a great artist on the French scene – a modern pianist whose work of the 60s was always fresh and new, and a player who moved into more of a world jazz sensibility as the 70s approached. Together, both players work some real magic here – deep soul from Singers tenor, sharper tones from Gilson's piano – and a range of weird and wonderful notes from other players who include Bernard Lubat on vibes, Jacky Samson on bass, Frank Raholison on drums, and both Del Rabenja and Gerard Rakotoarivony on percussion – really helping the record live up to its "Africa" title! Samson's bass is especially amazing – roundly-toned, and incredibly soulful – as much so as his legendary work with Marco DiMarco, but pitched slightly differently here – and titles include "The High Life", "Liberation", "Mother Africa", "Chant Inca", and "Garvey's Strut". Plus, as an added bonus the CD also features 2 incredible earlier tracks by Gilson – material recorded with Lloyd Miller back in the 60s – playing "micro organ" and balaphon, with a sound that's almost even more haunting than the main album. Other players include "Pierre Caron on tenor and Alain Tabar-Nouval on alto – and titles include "Le Grand Bidou" and "Fable Of Gutenberg". CD

Bop legend Al Haig gets a wonderful setting here – a beautifully-recorded trio date done for the Japanese market – with sensitive backing that really shows the development in Haig's sound and style over the years! Bassist Jamil Nasser is a wonderful choice for the group – playing with these round, well-shaped lines that seem to unlock a whole new lyrical side in Al's music – and drummer Billy Higgins fits in perfectly, able to work this subtle magic behind Haig, similar to his stellar sessions with Cedar Walton. The set list is great – material that also shows a side of Al that you might not expect – and titles include Antonio Carlos Jobim's "How Insensitive", Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance", and Wayne Shorter's "Maoco" – plus "Sweet and Lovely", "Chelsea Bridge", "Love Will Find A Way", "Lush Life", and "We'll Be Together". CD

Life-changing music from Pierre Henry – one of the key French electronic music composers of the 20th Century – and an artist who went on to have a big impact in the 21st Century as well! This set mixes together key Henry compositions with nine never-released works – all remastered by Henry in his own famous studio – where he took up most of his later-life creative activity, after an initial association with the famous RTF Studio in Paris! The sounds here are incredible – truly an illustration of the genius of the man who once said "it is necessary to destroy music" – a thesis that Pierre expounds on more fully in the notes within. The package features a total of 29 works in all, presented on 12 CDs with a big booklet of notes – and works include "Chroniques Terriennes" (2016), "Etudes Transcendantes Pour Un Piano Imaginaire" (2015), "Grande Toccata" (2006), "Gymkhana" (1970), "Pleins Jeux" (2008), "Kyldex" (1973), "Une Tour De Babel" (1988), "La Reine Verte", "Rock Electronique" (1963), "Histoire Naturelle" (1997), "Facies" (1960), "Le Livre Des Morts Egyptien" (1988), "Fragments Pour Artaud" (1970), "La Noire A Soixante" (1961), "Deuxieme Symphonie" (1972), "Spatiodynamisme" (1953), and "Concerto Des Ambiguites" (1950). CD

A set of tracks recorded in the early 90s, unreleased until many years later – and an album that shows a beautifully sensitive side of the music of guitarist Calvin Keys! The title is sometimes very apt – as Calvin is often out front in the lead, crafting these warm lines built from well-chosen chords – but the album's also not just a solo set, as it features work from Jeff Chimenti on piano, Tim Haul on bass, Mark Lignell on drums, and Kenneth Nash on percussion. There's even some light strings at times – but very light, as they just shade in the edges – on titles that include "Dolphin Dance", "Quiet Now", "Isotope", "Marela", "Windows", and "What's Goin On". CD

Richly spiritual work from a group of London musicians who combine jazz modes with larger orchestrations – all at a level that's maybe somewhere between earlier projects from Cinematic Orchestra, and some of the LA jazz work of Miguel Atwood Ferguson! But as with so much London music of late, there's a real genre-bending approach going on here – so that the combination of elements and the way they come across is very much the group's own – rising up together in a blend of flute, tenor, guitar, violin, cello, and harp – all led by trumpeter Axel Kaner Lidstrom, who you might know from his work in Cykada. Vocals are by Dilara Aydin Corbett and Plumm – and titles include "Spiral", "Between Shadows", "Life Is Suffering/Send & Receive Love Only", "Child", "Listen To Her", and "Many In Body One In Mind". CD

A really dark-tinged large ensemble – one that's led by guitarist Johan Lindstrom, whose instrument is only a very small part of their overall sound! The group is overflowing with key musicians from the Scandinavian scene – including Mattias Stahl on vibes, Mats Aleklint on trombone, Robert Nordmark on tenor, and Bo Strandberg on trumpet – just a few of the players who work under the guidance of conductor Joakim Milder, as he brings all sorts of color and life to the album's original compositions by Lindstrom – music that's very different than just a guitar with larger group backings, and which instead seems to rely on just about every instrument in the group to continually shape the overall sound of the proceedings! Titles include "Parade", "Blues For Somliga", "End Of The Dark Hours", "Ritmo Bolsillo", "Artcic Mambo", and "Pasacaglia". CD

The rich 70s legacy of the Lovelites – a Chicago trio who first sprang onto the soul with some wonderfully fragile work when they were young, and who continued to record some really great music – even though they never fully got their due at the time! The music here was all done after the girls got their one shot at an LP on the Uni label – and the set features rare work for a variety of different labels, all issued only as 7" singles – plus a few tracks that were never released at the time. All the strength of their early vocals is still in place here, but guided by a sense of maturity that makes the music even more powerful – and which seems to indicate that the trio have already lived a lot of life in the time since their first records – all of which they bring to play in the music. Most tracks have a groovy vibe – midtempo and mellow, but with a gentle groove too – one that brings out the best in lead singer Patti Hamilton, in a set of 16 tracks that includes "My Conscience", "Love So Strong", "Got To Be There", "Oh What A Day", "Get It Off My Conscience", "My Baby Loves Me", "Bumpy Road Ahead", "Man In My Life", "Love Is Pretty", "I'm The One You Need", "Come & Get It", and "Cravin For Your Love". CD

Rob Mazurek has always been more of a multi-instrumentalist instead of just a cornet player – but on this amazing solo set, he really pushes the boundaries even further – by taking up a huge host of different elements and different sounds! That soaring, spacious horn is still in the lead – a legacy that Rob seems to have inherited from 70s Miles Davis, but taken to even trippier territory – but the record also features flute, electronics, maracas, and bells – as well as weird objects like books, boxes, and apples! Mazurek uses a bit of distortion at times, which really helps unlike things resonate together – and the set's easily some of his most personal, evocative music to date. Titles include "Toward New Light", "Quiet The Thunder Bells", "The Breath Of Life You Gave To Me", "You Were Born With Sun In Your Eyes", and "Toward Enlightenment". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! CD

A trio of albums from the great David Murray! Ming is beautifully arranged work from David Murray – an important early large group recording, one that really helped point the way to some of his later genius! The session features Murray leading an all-star octet that includes Henry Threadgill on alto, Olu Dara on trumpet, Butch Morris on cornet, George Lewis on trombone, Anthony Davis on piano, Wilbur Morris on bass, and Steve McCall on percussion. Tracks are a very hip set of original compositions that display an incredible range of soulful feeling and expression – and which open a door to a whole new chapter of Murray's career. Titles include "Ming", "Dewey's Circle", "Jasvan", "The Fast Life", and "The Hill". Sacred Ground is a beautifully spiritual set that really reminds us of the promise we first heard in his music decades ago! Murray's working here with a lean, soulful ensemble that includes Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – all in a groove that has plenty of sharp edges, but which is also nicely inside – very focused, and with a sense of depth that's really wonderful! All tracks are originals by Murray – penned with the sensitivity of an older soul jazz recording – and two numbers feature lyrics by Ishmael Reed, sung by Cassandra Wilson on guest vocals. Titles include "Sacred Ground", "Transitions", "Family Reunion", "The Prophet Of Doom", "Believe In Love", and "Banished". Lucky Four is a gentler set than some of David Murray's other US dates from the time – but in a really great way that nicely gets at the more sensitive side of his work on tenor and bass clarinet! There's a bit of a hardbop groove to the album, but also a bit more freedom too – a style that never goes that far out, but which reminds us through subtle cues that most of these players have a longer legacy in more avant-oriented work. The group features Dave Burrell on piano, Wilbur Morris on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – and Burrell especially echoes a range of influences here – almost pulling from older eras of jazz in the way that Jaki Byard used to – an approach that's often echoed by Murray in his horn. Titles include "Valley Talk", "Chazz", "As I Woke", "Abel's Blissed Out Blues", "Sharing", and "As I Woke". CD

The first ever career-spanning look at the music of legendary vocalist Asha Puthli – a singer who's maybe best known for her 70s club work on the European scene, but who also has a much wider range of expression – which you'll discover here! There's definitely some of the soul-based work that's made Asha a favorite with the rare groove scene over the years – but the set also includes early work with rock bands, and even a few experimental jazz numbers that predate her recordings for the discos! The double-length set is a delight throughout – a package that's really opened our eyes to sides of Asha's music we never knew – and titles include performances with Ornette Coleman on "What Reason Could I Give" and "All My Life", work with Charlie Mariano on "Mirror", vocals with The Surfers on "Sound Of Silence" and "Sunny", and with The Savages on "Pain" – plus solo tracks that include "Lies", "Right Down Here", "We're Gonna Bury The Rock", "Mister Moonlight", "1001 Nights Of Love (reprise)", "Music Machine", "Peek A Boo Boogie", "Devil Is Loose", "Space Talk", "I'm Gonna Dance", and "One Night Affair". CD

Vickie Sue Robinson hits a great groove here – thanks to production and arrangements from T Life, who seems to bring a deeper soul to the music! There's a fullness here that goes way beyond the usual – a soaring vibe that works perfectly with Robinson's famous vocals, and a well-rounded style that goes way beyond pop disco and easygoing soul! T Life wrote almost all the tracks on the set, and the studio combo is nice and tight – still very much in the best live riffing approach to soulful club in the late 70s. Titles include "Never Stop Loving Me", "Can't Accept The Fact", "What's Happening In My Life", "Hope Your Feelings Are Like Mine", "High On Your Love", "Shine Your Love On Me", and "Movin On". CD

Great later work from this 60s southern soul legend – a set that's maybe more rarities than hits – even though there's some classic Percy Sledge tunes in the mix as well, just served up in later versions! The collection's a great illustration of the way that true soul heroes keep on making great music long after the charts and radio play have kept them in the mainstream – and, apart from a rare few who get a late-life chance to work with a famous rock producer, or maybe get some Rolling Stone hype, there's plenty of others who never fully get that shot – yet keep on making wonderful music like this. As usual with Sunset Blvd, there's almost no details as to where the specific tracks are from – but we can say that the material is all from later in Sledge's career, and still has that incredible voice working through superb material – some lesser-known gems and remakes of some of his older Atlantic tracks. The set includes a few tracks on CD for the first time ever – remakes of "Spooky", "Warm & Tender Love", and "Sweet Soul Music" – plus "Hard Lovin Woman" – and other cuts include "Twine Time", "Honest As Daylight", "Blue Water", "It Tears Me Up", "Dark End Of The Street", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "She's Too Pretty To Cry", "Tell It Like It Is", and "If She Were Mine". CD

A tremendous collection of early work by The Spinners – their sublime second album for Motown, plus 13 additional bonus tracks, most of which appear here for the first time ever! The core of the set is the 2nd Time Around album – pre-Philly magic from The Spinners – a wonderful early album recorded for Motown – done with a heady Detroit sound that's quite different than their later work in the 70s! The album already has the group sounding amazing on the harmonic tip – definitely a cut above the groups that came before them – with that brilliant Spinners ability to harmonize heavily while still hitting a groove! Arrangements are by Paul Riser, Wade Marcus, and David Van DePitte – all of whom keep things full, but never overblown – presenting music with a perfect polish for the group, but in quite different ways than the later Philly groove. Titles include the classic original version of "It's a Shame", plus "My Lady Love", "Souly Ghost", "Ooh Child", "In My Diary", "My Whole World Ended", "I've Got To Find Myself A Brand New Baby", "Bad Bad Weather", and "Pay Them No Mind". But the bonus tracks are pretty amazing, too – really showcasing the group as they grew tremendously in a few short years – on gems that include "I Can't Let You Go", "Sunshine Train", "Mental Telepathy", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Why Don't You Try It", "Just A Little Part Of Your Life", "Sadder Words Were Never Spoken", "Don't Take Your Love Away I Can't Stand It", "Your Sweet Love Is All I Need", "Gonna Keep On Tryin Till I Win Your Love", and "When It Starts To Rain It Pours". CD

A record from a pianist we totally love, but one who also seems to have really unfurled a bold new chapter in his life as well – with music that's very different than some of the previous albums that Spike Wilner's given us, full of joy, life, and this boundless sense of optimism that comes as a real surprise! Spike's never been one to be lazy on the keys – but here, he feels like he's bursting forth with all this fresh imagination – as if he's seen some sort of life that's driving him onward, and which is also shared by trio members Paul Gill on bass and Anthony Pinciotti on drums – a group who seem to move effortlessly, driven by the vision of the leader. Titles include "Contrafactus", "Happy Ending", "Cognitive Dissonance", "At First Blush", "Kinetic Neurosis", and "Ants Go Marching". CD

Capitol greatness from Nancy Wilson – a pair of excellent albums locked together on one CD! This Mother's Daughter is one of Nancy Wilson's hippest albums from the 70s – a great record of smooth mellow tracks produced by Eugene McDaniels, handled with some nice jazzy flourishes, and a warm soulful sound that brings out the best in Nancy's vocals! If you've dug her vocals on the Life, Love, & Harmony album, you'll find that this one's pretty similar – with some great easily grooving tunes that well mark her move into modern soul – and a sophistication that goes way beyond her work of the 60s! Titles include "China", "I Don't Want A Sometimes Man", "From You To Me To You", "Stay Tuned", "When We Were One", and "Now". On I've Never Been To Me, Nancy Wilson hits hard on two different levels – some of the mellow, sophisticated numbers that made her mid 70s years so great – and a few more upbeat groovers that aim strongly for the clubs! The blend is carried off well here – thanks to production and arrangements from Gene Page and Garry Sherman – both of whom avoid any too-commercial modes and really help keep the album at a level that works perfect for Wilson's huge legacy in soul music! The sound often has that great Capitol Rare blend of class and soul – and titles include "Love Is Alive", "Flying High", "All By Myself", "Here It Comes", "Moments", "Changes", and "Nobody". CD

An essential collection of work from one of the hippest funk groups of the 70s – the mysterious Wood Brass & Steel, who also participated in the legendary Skullsnaps record! The first part of the set features an unreleased album that the group recorded for the All-Platinum label in 1973 – music that's hard and funky, but which also shows a strong current of jazz as well – the kind of material that has the group very much in the best Earth Wind & Fire territory of the period, with a sense of righteous perfection that should have made them huge – had the album not stayed in the vaults! The set includes their fantastic "Hey What's That You Say" – which was later reworked as "It's A New Day" for the Skullsnaps album – plus a few more cuts that later appeared on the Brother To Brother debut album – titles that include "Trespassing", "Let's Take A Stroll", "Jermilah", "If He Can Do It She Can Do It", "I Wish It Would Rain", and "A Love Of My Own". Next is the self-titled Wood Brass & Steel album – a legendary bit of east coast funk from the 70s – by a group who'd go on to have a huge influence both in the worlds of hip hop and house! Wood Brass & Steel feature two key players who later became part of the Sugarhill Records house band, and later the On-U Sound collective – Doug Wimbush and Skip McDonald – but the set's got a much fuller, more soulful vibe than work from those later projects – nice use of horns, as hinted at in the title – but not in a way that make these guys a brassy funk band either! Instead, there's a smooth groove throughout – one that comes up from the rhythms first, with a wonderful quality that's years ahead of its time – never disco, but not afraid of some faster rhythms that point the way towards underground club to come. The whole thing's the kind of funky lost gem that makes us happy to do what we do – and it's had long life over the past few decades, thanks to the rich variety of tunes on the set. Titles include the classic cut "Funkanova", an uptempo jazzy instrumental that continued to be a club favorite throughout the house years – plus loads of other good cuts, too, like "WBS Theme", "Welcome To The Party", "Same Ol Me", "Working On A Dream", and a version of "Always There". Hard & Heavy is the incredibly rare second album from Wood Brass & Steel – the mighty funk group we've loved for years for their landmark debut from the mid 70s! This sophomore set is from a few years later, and has the group honing their groove even more – working with these righteous currents in their music that expand the sound into territory that's almost a bit like Roy Ayers at times! As with Ayers, the vocals are often layered into the rhythms – sometimes sung by group members with this soulfully flowing current that has a subtle, sublime sort of vibe – and which works perfectly for the message in the music. Tunes are often in the faster side of midtempo – but never conventional club or disco at all – and there's this really special quality to the whole record, one that even tops the unique vibe of their first album. The original album was very briefly issued by Sugar Hill, during a time when the label was mostly doing hip hop – and is impossibly hard to find in the original pressing. Titles include "Open Up Your Heart", "Be Yourself", "Long Live Music", "Space Walk", "Fly With Music", "Superstar", and "Are You Busy". CD

A beautiful Japanese ambient session from the 80s – one of a rare breed of records issued by the Misawa Home Institute Of Research – partly as a project to integrate music and sound into everyday residential life! Hiroshi Yoshimura begins the set with one long track, the moves into shorter melodies, before then going into another long track in the middle – all to create this beautiful shifting soundscape that echoes some acoustic elements amidst a gentler, organic electronic backdrop. There's a real sense of poetry to the record, which is gently compelling throughout – on titles that include "Time After Time", "Something Blue", "Surround", "Water Planet", and "Time Forest". CD

Blue-tinged work for those days when your heart is breaking and your soul is aching – a really wonderful batch of tracks that are heavy on those late 60s/early 70s moments when male singers were starting to open up a bit and let their emotions show! The vibe here is very different than Bobby Gillespie's own music – and the set brings together bits of country, roots rock, and soul – really special tracks that have a perfect blend of heartfelt vocals, well-penned lyrics, and the kind of arrangements and production that really send the whole thing over the top! The best thing about the collection is that it brings together songs we never would have thought to combine like this – a masterful set list that includes "I Don't Want To Talk About It" by Crazy Horse, "Wait & See" by Lee Hazlewood, "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" by Thin Lizzy, "The Coldest Days Of My Life" by The Chi-Lites, "Roll Um Easy" by Little Feat, "Magnolia" by JJ Cale, "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" by Willie Nelson, "Love Sick" by Bob Dylan, I'll Be Long Gone" by Boz Scaggs, "Strong As Death" by Al Green, "Kind Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Dark End Of The Street" by Ry Cooder, "I Feel Like Goin Home" by Charlie Rich, "When My Mind's Gone" by Mott The Hoople, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Nick Cave. CD

The "nuggets" in the title is very well placed here – as all the cuts here have every bit as much freak and fuzz as the American garage and pre-punk work chronicled famously on the lengendary Nuggets series! Yet these tracks are all even more obscure, and all come from African sources that never got any exposure over here back in the day – records from Zambia, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe – all brought together in a massive collection that's filled with heavy guitar work, and a fair bit of monstrous basslines too – which gives some of these tracks a slightly funky current at the bottom, even while the guitars and vocals are tripping out up top! The collection's a great complement to some of the Zamrock reissues from Now Again in recent years – and titles include "The Bad Will Die" by Keith Mlevhu, "Can't You Hear Me" by Paul Ngozi, "Black Power" by Peace, "Mad Man" by Born Free, "Breakthrough" by Funkees, "Few Bena Zambia" by Revolutions, "Come Home" by Wells Fargo, "Amanaz" by Amanaz, "Don't Take Me For A Ride" by Founders, "Like A Chicken" by Witch, and "Making Life Out Of Music" by Eye Q. Also includes the reworked "No Time (Pilooski edit)" by Witch. CD

A fantastic little set that looks at the huge wave of top-shelf AOR material recorded in recent years – part of a huge global re-awakening to the charms of the genre – often with results that are even groovier than the classic records of the 70s! One of the compelling things here is that the music isn't being made by big names on major labels – and instead is an almost-underground thing – but handled at a level that's completely faithful to the best Cali styles of the 70s – from sweet jazzy instrumentation right down to the perfect production styles to get the whole thing right. You'll recognize a few names here – and will hopefully discover a lot more too – as titles include "Tell Me" by William Sikstrom, "Quiet Storm" by Workshy, "Liberation Groove" by Incognito, "You Make My Life A Better Place" by Mamas Gun, "What You Deserve" by Chris Cauley, "See Me Slumber" by Young Gun Silver Fox, "Melt The Night" by Lucas Arruda, "All Smiles" by Jeremy Passion, "Walkin On Air" by Tomi Malm, "Good To Live" by Monkey House, "Thoughts" by Michael Carreon, "Dangerous" by Umii, "Hello Monday" by Briamarie, "The Greatest" by King, "Perish The Thought" by Ned Doheny, "Sweet Life" by Mike Champion, and "Don't Disturb This Groove" by Meshell Ndegeocello. CD

Funky soul from Witchita, Kansas – an unlikely locale, but home to some really great music – courtesy of the Smart brothers, and their ultra-hip club! This wonderful entry in the Eccentric Soul series from Numero really brings that lost scene to life – telling the tale of the brothers, their club, and some of the wickedly funky artists that graced their stage – a host of obscure groups, singers, and instrumentalists who really made Kansas cook, back in the day! The groove here is plenty darn hard – as raw as some of the best funky 45s you might find from points north, warmed up with occasional southern soul elements – and always produced with rough-and-ready vibe that gets to the heart of the grit right away. The set comes with a beautiful 28 page booklet – filled with vintage photos, in support of the Smart story, told by Dante Carfagna and Rob Sevier – but even without this added feature, the CD itself would be wonderful – essential listening for fans of all things funky! Titles include "Herbie's Bag" by John Smart's Band, "Mercy Baby" by Tim Jacob, "Dedicated To You" by Hard Road, "Let Me Be Your Christmas Toy" by Chocolate Snow, "Smart" by Smart Brothers, "I Was Made To Love Her" by Theron & Darrell, "I'm Not Ashamed" by Baby Neal & The Smart Brothers, "Everybody Needs Somebody" by LT & The Soulful Dynamics, "Don't Hate Let's Communicate" by Kenneth Carr with John Smart's Band, "It's Your Love" by Theron & Darrell, and "Let It Be" by Chocolate Snow. CD

Killer soul from the Forte label of Kansas City – a tiny imprint, but a really great one too – and a company with an especially strong ear for the funkier side of the spectrum! This Numero set really gets back to the greatness that first made us fall in love with their collections in the first place – and brings together a really wonderful batch of rare singles that work perfectly as a whole album – no filler, no trans-genre stepping, and just a rock-solid batch of soul cuts that you'd have to dig deep in the American underground to find this strongly! The package is wonderful – plenty of notes, photos, and the usual Numero sense of history – but even without all that, the music is more than enough – a smoking pile of singles that includes "Whtever You Do" by Gene Williams, "I'm Gonna Get Your Thing" by Lee Harris, "Baby Your Love Is Amazing" by The Four Darlings, "I'll Never Be Satisfied" by Tony Ashley & The Delicates, "Baby Be Good" by The Rayons, "With Fun In My Life" by James Whitney, "Reaching For Our Star" by Sharon Revoal, "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear" by Marva Whitney, and "Cry Night & Day" by The Fantasticks. CD

A great look at an obscure indie soul label from the Cleveland scene at the end of the 60s – and a company that's definitely a cut above, given that it released some early O'Jays singles in the years before their crossover fame in the 70s – and members of that group also wrote a fair bit of singles for the label too! Besides a tie to the O'Jays, the Saru label also had a tight, well-chosen roster – one that really helped make Cleveland a hotbed for sweet soul at the time – easily competing with the hippest singers and groups from Philly, New York, and New Jersey – thanks to a string of excellent 45s on both the Saru imprint, and related Horoscope Records! As usual with Numero, the whole package is filled with fantastic details and photos that are as compelling as the music itself – and as for the music, this time around the Numero folks really get to the heart of the matter with a non-stop array of excellent material – not unreleased tapes, but killer 45s that really show Saru as a hell of a great soul label during its short run of records. Titles include "For The Rest Of My Life" and "Tears Don't Care Who Cry" by The Out Of Sights, "I Believe" and "Are You Man Enough" by Sir Stanely, "Stand In For Love" and "Love's Needed" by Pandella Kelly, "Come Back Boy" and "The Last Time" by The Ba-Roz, "Bound" and "I Remember You" by Ponderosa Twins, "Just To Be With You" and "Got To Make It Right" by Elements, "Can't Make It Without You" by Michael Bell, "Got To Get My Broom Out" by David Peoples, "Just To Be With You" by Bobby Dukes, and "Now He's Home" and "Shattered Man" by The O'Jays. CD

A heavy package of treasures from the vaults of Studio One – tracks from the early days of the label that really illustrate the special touch that Studio One had right from the start! The work here is some of the most soulful from the early years of reggae – Jamaican music that's clearly drawn strong inspiration from American work, but which is already really finding its own sort of special groove – mellow burning rocksteady, early reggae, and more – still sounding every bit as righteous and powerful as it did back in the day! This double-length set brings together both volumes of the original compilations – and titles include "Peeping Tom" by Brentford All Stars, "Honey Come Back" by Jerry James, "Get You Off My Mind" by Larry Marshall, "I'll Be Waiting" by Alton Ellis, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "My Eyes" by John Holt, "He Don't Love You" by Larry Williams, "Psychedelic Rock" by Ernest Ranglin, "Life" by Hortense Ellis, "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Winston Francis, "Old Time Saying" by Burning Spear, "Riddle I This" by Dennis Alcapone, "Feel Good All Over" by King Sporty, "Zion Higher" by Burning Spear, and "Home Home Version" by Dennis Alcapone & Ken Boothe. CD

John Savage offers us a mighty nice look at the years of post-disco, and post-post-punk – served up here in a great mix of music from a time when soulful styles were mixing it up with returning rock on the dancefloor! The work here is from a time when the UK scene was having big global impact with a new sort of sound – often with a fair dose of electric energy, sometimes darker and more industrialized, sometimes lighter and catchy – and a perfect fit for some of the street soul styles happing in the US as well! Most acts here are British, but there's a few key American groups two – blended together in the kind of cuts that made clubs like Danceteria or The Hacienda such a delight back in the day. As usual, the notes are superb – a special Savage touch – and titles include "Techno City (voc)" by Cybotron, "Telephone Operator" by Pete Shelly, "Soweto" by Malcolm McLaren, "All Tomorrow's Parties" by Japan, "Bright Lights" by The Special AKA, "What Presence" by Orange Juice, "No Sell Out" by Malcom X mixed by Keith LeBlanc, "I Want You" by Cabaret Voltaire, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy, "Looking From A Hilltop" by Section 25, "Why" by Bronski Beat, "Sunspots" by Julian Cope, "Never Understand" by Jesus & Mary Chain, "Heat" by Soft Cell, "The Rock Steady Grew" by Rock Steady Crew, "Disappearing Act" by Shalamar, "Lined Up" by Shriekback, and "Life's A Scream" by A Certain Ratio. CD

Think The Beatles only had an impact on rock and pop fans in the America of the 60s? Think again – because their music had an undeniable impact on soul as well – as you'll here from this wonderful range of remakes of classic cuts from the Fab Four! The work here is a real surprise if you don't know the legacy – but it also really makes sense once you're reminded of the mind-expanding, ear-opening territory the group hit in the latter half of the 60s – and working with themes of social change, alienation, and personal longing – of the sort that turn out to be perfect for new interpretations in soul! Most of these cuts are way more than standard cover versions, too – as the arrangements are really inventive, and take off in bold new directions that make the songs very much new properties overall. Most of the work here is from the late 60s and early 70s – and as always with Ace Records, the notes and presentation really put the music in context! Titles include "The Fool On The Hill" by The Four Tops, "Dear Prudence" by The Five Stairsteps, "For No One" by Maceo & The King's Men, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Junior Parker, "Got To Get You Into My Life" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Do You Want To Know A Secret" by Mary Wells, "Lovely Rita" by Fats Domino, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Undisputed Truth, "Savoy Truffle" by Ella Fitzgerald, and "Let It Be" by Bill Withers. CD

Rare rock from the Golden Triangle scene of Southeast TX in the late 60s and early 70s – a well-curated overview of the stylistically sprawling material being cut at Mickey Rouse's Lowland Recording Studio in Beaumont! Texas rock of the late 60s and early 70s justifiably brings to mind acts like The 13th Floor Elevators and The Bubble Puppy – tripped out psychedelia in other words, but Texas is huge, and there was a heck of a lot more going on than just the best remembered cult favorites. The music coming out of just the Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Texas "triangle" chronicled here was incredibly diverse. It includes proto TX boogie rock that's a clear precursor to early ZZ Top, harmony flavored numbers that sound closer to Cali than they do The Lone Star State, one track that somehow fuses CS&N with The Beatles and does so with prominent cowbell in the mix (and it's good!!!), punchy psych grit, and swaggering country rock with some twang in the strings that feels a bit more profoundly Texan. You don't need our word that The Numero Group has devoted some serious attention to detail – with a 35-page booklet of notes, photos and histories, plus the impressive Lost In The Golden Triangle "family tree" of the regional musicians involved – as if discovering these long buried regional relics wasn't impressive enough already. Beautiful! 22 tracks in all: "Trash One" by the Lowland Studio Band, "Live My Life Today" by Insight Out, "Simple House" by Mother Lion, "Love Of The Morning" by Circus, "Take A Look At Your Friends" by Next Exit, "You Know I Love You" by Roy Briggs & Alton Tew, "Calling Me Home (Demo)" by Donald Thomas and more. CD

A stunning document of culture in and around the Texas scene of the postwar years – never-heard recordings done by blues enthusiast Robert Mack McCormick, who also photographed most of his subjects as well – a lost legacy that finally gets exposure to the world at large here in a big box set that includes both music and a big book that includes 128 pages of rare photos and other blues artifacts! The whole thing is like discovering a lost side room in the world of postwar field recordings of blues – material from the generation of similar projects by Alan Lomax, Chris Strachwitz, and George Mitchell, but which has never been tapped until now – brought out with a great level of care by the Smithsonian, who currently house McCormick's life's work. The package is almost worth it alone for the book – but you also get 3CDs with 68 tracks in all – music by Bongo Joe Coleman, Lightnin Hopkins, Hop Wilson, Jimmy Womack, Walter Britten, Buster Pickens, Andrew Everett, James Tisdom, Doc Webster, Mance Lipscomb, Leroy Country Johnson, RC Forest, Billy Bizor, and many others CD

Sublime soul from the great Thom Bell – one of our favorite arranger, producer, songwriters of all time – and a talent who really helped push the Philly soul scene much farther than most during the 70s! Bell was trained as a classical pianist as a kid – which might explain part of his ear for a special sort of tune – but by the time of this work, he was neck-deep in the soul scene – and working with a fantastic track record for bringing the best out of a very wide variety of artists! Bell was especially great with groups – he helped more than a few really stretch out their wings and grow – but as you'll hear here, Thom also handled a fantastic range of music in Philly studios – all with magnificent touches that really set the tunes apart from the rest – French horns, harpsichord, and especially that twangy sitar sound that worked so well with a harmony ballad. The set's got 23 tracks in all, and a massive set of notes on the man and his music – with titles that include "What I See" by Three Degrees, "Here I Go Again" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "You've Been Untrue" by The Delfonics, "Moody Woman" by Jerry Butler, "Something For Nothing" by MFSB, "One Man Band" by Ronnie Dyson, "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Life Is A Song Worth Singing" by Johnny Mathis, "Look The Other Way" by Lesley Gore, "What Kind Of Lady" by Dee Dee Sharp, "It's The Same Old Love" by The Courtship, "Do You Remember Yesterday" by The Intruders, "Track Of The Cat" by Dionne Warwick, and "I Wanna Be A Free Girl" by Dusty Springfield. CD

The legendary Chess Records is best known as a home to important blues, soul, and gospel records from the postwar years – but back in the 50s, the label also did a pretty great job with the harder side of the rock and roll spectrum too! Maybe that's no surprise, given that the Chess Brothers always had a great ear for new and unusual music – to a point where they sometimes issued work that wasn't recorded in their Chicago studios, which is the case with a fair bit of the cuts on this collection – many of which hail from points farther south, from territory that was bristling with new energy from rockabilly pioneers at the time! There's a few more familiar Chess artists mixed in here with more obscure artists who only issued singles for the label – and the massive 33 track package comes with very detailed notes on all the tracks within. Titles include "Run Rose" by Billy Miranda, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "The Story Of My Life" by Big Al Downing, "So Long Goodbye" by JC Hill, "Baby Bye Bye" by Dickie & The Gees, "Make Believe Wedding Bells" by Dick Glasser, "I Found My Girl" by The Kents, "6:15" by The Galaxies, "I Am Ready" by Bobby Dean, "See You Soon Baboon" by Dale Hawkins, "No More" by Bobby Charles, and That's All You Gotta Do" by Jack Ford. CD

A great volume in this really fantastic collection – a series that really reminds us that there's still so much great work to discover in the world of underground soul! As with previous volumes, this set focuses on the sweet soul style of the late 60s and early 70s – that moment when groups around the US were really maturing to a new level of vocal harmony – sometimes using a bit of funk in the mix, sometimes going for these sublime ballad modes that brought a new level of emotion and heartbreak to the music! You're sure to know bigger names like The Moments or Delfonics, but this is work that was cut at the same time, in the same mode, but which never fully got its due – pulled together by the longtime soul historians at Soul Junction – and even featuring a few never-issued tracks. Titles include "Read It & Weep" by Bobby Banks, "Give It A Chance To Grow" by The Toppiks, "Running Wild" by The Scott Three, "Lucky Guy I Am" by Delegates Of Soul, "Imitation Of Life" by Music Machine, "This Is Love" by The Holidays, "Plain As The Nose (alt unissued version)" by The Four Thoughts, "Love Song About You" by Robert Montgomery, "I'm Going To Treat You Good" by The Donations, "You Got To Steal It" by The Flairs, "Win All Your Love" by The Toppiks, "Nothin Left 2 Do" by The Coalitions, and "Stop Look & Listen" by The Jonesetts. CD

Completely evocative late life work from Chet Baker – one of the last albums he ever recorded, and a set that shows just how much Baker kept evolving in the later years of his career! Given some of the personal troubles that plagued Chet over the decades, there's sometimes a thought out there that he was a weaker version of himself at this time – but that's definitely not the case, as Baker really shifted his sound and style to accommodate some of his challenges, at a level that maybe made the music even more powerful than some of his music from years before! Some of the best moments here feature contributions from key musical partner of the 80s Nicola Stilo, who uses flute, guitar, and piano in these light ways while Chet's soloing with this strong, fluid vibe that's a real surprise – gentle, but extremely powerful. A few cuts bring in a bit of keyboards, and Chet sings a bit – but his best "singing" here is through his trumpet, which is still a hell of a voice in jazz. Titles include "Chet's Blues", "Waiting For Chet", "The Party Is Over", "With Sadness", "Deep Arabesques", and "Like The Precedent" – plus a lovely reading of the Elvis Costello tune "Almost Blue". CD

Fantastic work from reedman Marion Brown – an unissued live set from the mid 70s, and one that features a whole new side of his talents! The music is definitely the improvisations promised in the title – but never in a free jazz sort of way, as Brown is working with a group, who have a nice sort of swing on all the tracks – and almost put Marion into hardbop territory that he hardly ever touched at this time! The whole performance is a unique glimpse at that much richer life that Brown was living overseas in the 70s – a time when he was connecting strongly with the jazz scene in Europe, in ways that were not always that well-documented on record – and also working on the American underground, but in ways that were different from some of his better-known material. This set is certainly one of those sides of his career – a beautifully swinging, soulful set that also features work from Brandon Ross on guitar, Jack Gregg on bass, and Steve McGreven on drums. Titles include "First Improvisation", "Second Improvisation", "Third Improvisation", and so on. CD

A treasure trove of work from a singer who's finally getting his due – Louisiana legend Jimmy Donley, an artist whose career was as short-lived as his time on the planet – but who worked during the early 60s in a wonderful blend of soul, R&B, and rough-edged rock! The package is amazing – and a much-needed look at this artist who burned incredibly brightly for a few short years, before taking his own life in the mid 60s. Jimmy's a hell of a singer, and a damn great songwriter too – and according to the notes, most of the tunes on the set originated with him, but were sold quickly to others to earn cash – a fact that hardly keeps the music from being a great representation of Donley's genius. There's definitely some echoes of New Orleans soul in the recordings, but given that many of the sessions were handled by Huey P Meux, there's also a west Louisiana vibe, too – with almost some grittier east Texas elements as well. The sound is quite unique – and uniquely breathtaking in this scope – a 2CD set that features 20 songs issued on singles for the Tear Drop label – plus another 36 tracks as demos, duets, and other rare material! Titles include "A Woman's Gotta Have Her Way", "Think It Over", "Strange Strange Feeling", "Love Bug", "Baby Ain't That Love", "Just A Game", "Santa Don't Pass Me By", "Baby Heaven Sent Me You", "Loving Cajun Style", "Forever Lillie May", "I Still Care", "It's Time To Say Goodbye", and "I'll Keep On Movin". CD

Late life brilliance from the legendary Charles Lloyd – a reed player who seems to have given the world more great music in the past 20 years than he had in the previous 60s! Lloyd keeps on moving forward with all these new ideas and fresh conceptions – and here, he blows tenor, alto, and flutes in a great quartet that features Jason Moran on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Brian Blade on drums – all excellent players on their own, but musicians who also put their egos aside to fold into the richness of Lloyd's music. The set's got a subtle spiritual current throughout – nicely understated, but very pure – on titles that include "The Water Is Rising", "Defiant Tender Warrior", "Beyond Darkness", "Sky Valley Spirit Of The Forest", "Balm In Gilead", "Cape To Cairo", and "Ghost Of Lady Day". CD

Funky soul from one of the less-discovered scenes in the south – the hotbed of small labels that were making some mighty great grooves in Atlanta during the 70s! The Peachtree city isn't nearly as well-cited as a soul music source in comparison to places like Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and even Miami – but back in the mid 70s, there was something really special going on – and for a strong moment, a few different labels really gave the city some great music! Much of the work here represents the changing character of Atlanta itself – deep soul vocals that were forged in a longer southern tradition, mixed with well-crafted grooves that show all the modern elements coming into play as the city grew and matured. Most of this work has a pre-disco vibe – with rhythms that are similar to the early work of Fatback or Kool & The Gang – with the difference that the singers in the lead are all pretty darn great on their own. BGP did an excellent job of choosing the tracks for the set, and the notes, as always, are great – and the package features 22 titles that include "Let's Dance" by Family Plann, "Seeds Of Life" by East LA Car Pool, "Down At The Disco" by Maggabrain, "Ain't It Funky" by Johnny Jacobs, "The Bump" by Floyd Smith, "Help Me (parts 1 & 2)" by Archie Russell, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Ripple, "Funk Pump" by The Counts, "Claim Jumpin" by Bill Brandon, "Checkmate" by The Ebony Godfather, "Shouldn't I Be Given The Right To Be Wrong" by Joe Hinton, "Husband In Law" by CL Blast, "Only A Fool" by Loleatta Holloway, "When I Build My World" by Jimmy Lewis, and "Complain To The Clouds" by Deep Velvet. CD

A very different picture of the British scene than you might know from the worlds of classic rock and chart hits of the early 70s – as this collection focuses on a really special sort of sound that hints at the bleaker, less satisfying sides of English life – often with a slightly sinister quality that might come as a big surprise! The package is a follow-up to previous gems from compilers Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – like the compilations English Weather and State Of The Union – and like those, there's a wonderfully unified vision to the whole package – almost a mini-sociology statement, but one that's completely fun – given the fantastic range of music chosen for the album. Tracks are a non-stop surprise all the way through – as glammy bits mix with offbeat pop, catchy prog, and plenty of other tunes that maybe defy any sort of generic description altogether! Titles include "Rod" by Matchbox, "Kill" by Mike McGear, "Part Of The Union" by The Brothers, "The Hertfordshire Rock" by Ricky Wilde, "Sailing" by Sutherland Brothers Band, "And The Fun Goes On" by Lieutenant Pigeon, "War Against War" by Pheon Bear, "Roly Pin" by Roly, "Stardust" by David Essex, "What Ruthy Said" by Cockney Rebel, "Why Am I Waiting" by Robin Goodfellow, "Urban Guerilla" by Hawkwind, "Londonderry" by Phil Cordell, and "Cut Loose" by Stud Leather. CD

Four classic albums from one of the early masters of exotica! First up is Ritual Of The Savage – one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple instrumental pop, colored with slight worldly instrumentation – or too-dreamy recordings, putting over a sleepy version of life on the islands. Enter Les Baxter, who had an amazing ear for sounds, rhythms, and arrangements – one that was the first to record this sort of music in a way that was sonically evocative, and could stand on its own without other referents. Instrumentation is often conventional, but used oddly here – and Baxter's original compositions are all pretty darn great – playful without being goofy, and nicely mixing Latin and Pacific rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Busy Port", "The Ritual", "Coronation", "Jungle Jalopy", and Les' original version of "Quiet Village". Next up is The Passions – a really obscure box set recording – done as Les Baxter's classic exploitation of "a woman's passions", using vocalist Bas Sheva in the role of the tormented female! Sheva's got a bold, evocative style that's not unlike Yma Sumac – and she sings here wordlessly, as an added instrument on top of Baxter's orchestrations – playing the role of the inner psyche of woman, on titles that include "Lust", "Terror", "Joy", "Hate", "Ecstasy", and "Despair"! The whole thing's a mini docu-drama in sound – beautifully recorded in a flurry of red, blue, and other chromatic hues – not as exotic as Baxter's other work from the 50s, but equally great as a modern sonic psychoanalytic text! Tamboo was cut with Les Baxter's orchestra and chorus – and it's a swirling mass of tribal drums, singing strings, and moody voices that would forever change the face of easy listening. Les' compositions are astounding – filled with all the sophistication of a great soundtrack, but simple enough to evoke the fake primitive charm of the album's cover. Every cut is great – and tracks include "Simba", "Oasis of Dakhla", "Mozambique", and "Zambezi". The cover's got a gorgeous blue painting of natives dancing in the background, while a drummer drums in front. Caribbean Moonlight is not as all-out exotic as some of Les' earlier Capitol albums, but still pretty darn great! The theme here is Caribbean exotic, and the rhythms have a little bit more of Cuba and Haiti than they do of primitive Borneo. Les handles them nicely, as always, and contributes some wonderful arrangements to the album. Titles include "Deep Night", "Green Eyes", "Sway", "Out Of This World", and "Adios". CD

Never-issued work from Jamaican singer Al Brown – tapes that were thought to be lost for years, then were recently rediscovered and brought back to life by the talents of Paolo "Dub Files" Baldini! The work has a righteous quality at the core – very soulful vocals from Al, resonating with a sense of message and power, while Inner Force provide gently-stepping rhythms which are then expanded and amplified in the dubs by Baldini! The music is never too forced, and everything flows together wonderfully – with a very vintage approach from the early days of the digital age, so that the whole thing really seems to come across like a dub version of the original album issued back in the day. Titles include "Dub Me Again", "Ghetto Situation", "Liquid Dub (part 1)", "Poor & Simple Version)", "Family Version", "Ghetto Love (part 1)", and "Dub Of Books". CD features bonus tracks – "Liquid Dream", "New Family", "Dub On The Land", "Tribulation Dub (part 1)", and "Dub Me Again (part 2)". CD

A nice little package, one that brings together three American releases of music by London's legendary Georgie Fame! First up is the classic Yeh Yeh – a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie Fame's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "I Love The Life I Live", "Point Of No Return", "Preach & Teach", "Get On The Right Track Baby", and the hit "Yeh Yeh". Next is Get Away – a great little album from Georgie Fame – with a hard raw soul sound that shows what a big crossover potential he had with the UK soul market – so much so that this batch of material was issued in the US as well! The album's got some wonderful arrangements – quite raw, with some nice organ, and plenty of heavy vocals from Georgie in a strong blue eyed soul mode. Titles include "Sitting In The Park", "Get Away", "Sweet Thing", "Ride Your Pony", "The In Crowd", "Last Night", and "Music Talk". Hall Of Fame is a bit of a best-of – a record that features some singles, and some album tracks – the latter of which aren't included here, as they'd be duplicated. The remaining material is Fame at his raw early best – working in a great soulful style, with plenty of jazzy charms – on cuts that include "Outrage", "Lil Darlin", "Sunny", "In The Meantime", "Something", "Do Re Mi", and Fame's own "Like We Used To Be". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks, some live recordings – titles that include "Bend A Little", "Telegram", "It Ain't Right", "Don't Make Promises", "Many Happy Returns", "I'm In Love With You", "Shop Around", "Green Onions", and "Do The Dog". CD

Three albums from Dutch drummer Eric Ineke – served up in a single set! Dexternity is a tribute to the music of Dexter Gordon, one that's led by drummer Eric Ineke, and which features the reed talents of Sjoerd Dijkhuizen on Dexter's role – blowing both tenor and a bit of soprano sax! The rest of the group features Rik Mol on trumpet, Rob Van Bavel on piano, and Marius Beets on bass – and titles include "The Panther", "Body And Soul", "Soy Califa", "Cheese Cake", "Boston Bernie", and "Fried Bananas". Meets The Tenor Players is a selection of tracks from different sessions, all of which feature drummer Eric Ineke interacting with a range of famous tenorists – including some key American players recording overseas! The set features work from Dexter Gordon, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Clifford Jordan, Johnny Griffin, Lucky Thompson, Goerge Coleman, and Grant Stewart – each of whom play on their own tracks – with piano work from players who include Rein De Graaff, Rob Agerbeek, and Rob Madna. Titles include "Let There Be Life Love & Laughter", "Prayer To The People", "Walkin", "Lady Bird", "Stablemates", and "Wee". Cruisin is a later date from Dutch drummer Eric Ineke, but one that maybe burns with even more fire than some of his earlier albums – thanks to the work of some great musicians in the quintet! At some points, the group takes off in strongly soulful hardbop formation – but at others, they can equally slide into a slightly modern mode, but all without losing their swing at all – a performance that's given plenty of focus from Ineke's drumming, and topped with these warmly lyrical piano lines from Rob Van Bavel, plus trumpet from Rik Mol, tenor and bass clarinet from Sjoerd Dijkhuizen, and bass from Marius Beets. Titles include "Oak City", "When We Were One", "Just A Tune For You", "What Is This", "Cruising", and "Seven On The Richter Scale". CD

Four fantastic records from a time when Johnny Mathis was really evolving his sound! On Me & Mrs Jones, Johnny Mathis takes on the sophisticated soul modes of the 70s, and also adds in a few other styles too – on an album that shows just how much the singer had changed in nearly 20 years of recording – sometimes shaped by all those other artists he'd inspired along the way! The title version of the Billy Paul classic "Me & Mrs Jones" is superb – maybe worth the price of the record alone, and perfect for the mature Mathis approach – and Johnny shines equally well on the album's blend of other 70s tunes, arranged by D'Arneill Pershing with a bit of help from Larry Muhoberac. Titles include "Summer Breeze", "Sweet Surrender", "Corner Of The Sky", "Remember", "You're A Lady", "If I Could Reach You", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", "Soul & Inspiration/Just Once In My Life", and "Me & Mrs Jones". Johnny takes on a mix of sweet & tender and more melancholy tunes on Killing Me Softly, showing a surer hand at making a batch of then contemporary hits his own much more successfully than other veteran pop vocalists of his generation. Jerry Fuller produced, and the titles Includes "Aubrey", "And I Love You So", "Break Up To Make Up", "Sing", "Good Morning Heartache", "Neither One Of Us Wants To Say Goodbye", "Show And Tell" and "Ariane". On I'm Coming Home, Johnny Mathis gets a great new sound – thanks to Philly production and arrangements from the great Thom Bell! Thom had quite a hand in the songs, too – as almost all numbers were written by the team of Bell and Linda Creed – really sensitive songwriters who've got an adult, mature approach to the music – one that still respects Mathis' roots in other vocal territory, but which also gives him a bit more soulful depth, too. The setting is wonderful, and the record's a real standout in Johnny's 70s career – one that helped reignite interest in the singer at a time when so many folks had left him behind. Titles include "I'm Coming Home", "Foolish", "I'm Stone In Love With You", "A Baby's Born", "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "I Just Wanted To Be Me", and a classic version of "Stop Look & Listen To Your Heart". Feelings is a prime 70s Columbia era Mathis gem, with production by Jack Gold and this time out, arrangements by Gene Page that mix tender hearted intimacy and lightly sweeping touches as sweetly as can be. Titles include "One Day In Your Life", "Stardust", "Midnight Blue", "Feelings", "That's All She Wrote", "Solitaire" and more. CD features the bonus track "Crazy Little Love Makin Ways". CD

Mildlife serve up a very classic groove, but one that's maybe got more 80s elements than their previous work – in part because the vocals often use processing to come across in a very cool way! The music is funk, but with some nice tightness too – almost a leaner take on the wider ambitious modes of 70s AOR, filtered through an 80s cosmic club aesthetic, all with a sound that's sparkling and spacey all the way through! The basslines and keyboards are great – and titles include "Musica", "Sunrise", "Forever", "Yourself", "Return To Centaurus", and "Future Life". CD

A really great collection – five full albums from keyboard giant Patrice Rushen, plus bonus tracks too! First up is Patrice – her first album for Elektra, and a stunning blend of funky jazz and soul! The record really has Patrice stepping out from her earlier years at Prestige – working in some surprisingly great vocals next to tight lines on Fender Rhodes, synth, and clavinet, handled with a smooth and soulful quality that's wonderful all the way through – a blend of soul and jazz that few other players could do this well – no matter how many others tried to copy her style over the years! Rhythms are as hard and heavy as on the Prestige years, and the keyboards have a great sort of focus too – just the right mix of jazz to offset the vocals – which themselves are a wonderful discovery. The whole album's a gem – and tracks include the great funky classic "Hang It Up", plus "Changes (In Your Life)", "When I Found You", "Play", "Didn't You Know?", and "Music Of The Earth". Pizzazz is one of the records that not only helped break her out of the jazz funk ghetto, and right into the mainstream – but a set that also had a pretty profound influence on the progression of soul in the early 80s! Rushen sings as well as plays keyboards – and really pushes the use of jazzy elements that would take R&B to the next level – almost inventing the 80s groove sound in the process! The whole thing's a totally sweet mix of funk and soul, tightened up to get everything in the door at the same time – and titles include "Givin It Up Is Givin Up", "Call On Me", "Haven't You Heard", and "Let The Music Take Me". Posh is an all-out, all-access affair – a great way for anyone to get into the grooves of the mighty Patrice Rushen! Patrice is at the height of her powers here – equally magic on keyboards and vocals, and coming up with groove after groove in a sublime blend of 70s jazz funk and Minnie Riperton-esque soul! The whole album's a winner – real magic that never gets old, and the kind of LP that makes you understand why you'll find Patrice's records in just about any soul collection from the time! Tracks include "I Need Your Love", "Time Will Tell", "The Dream", "Never Gonna Give You Up", and "Don't Blame Me". Straight From The Heart is one of those albums that completely cemented her standing in the world of jazz, funk, and soul – and a wonderful summation of everything she'd done in the years before! The young Patrice was already a breakout keyboardist on the west coast scene of the mid 70s – turning out great work on her own, and adding her talents to plenty of others – but here, she emerges as a soaring soul star in her own right – a talent who's really worked her way up, with a quality level that's head and shoulders above most of her peers! Rushen produced the set with Charles Mims, and there's a righteous blend of jazz and soul that's at the level of Minnie Riperton, so that even the catchiest cuts come off with a sense of sophistication and warmth that's so different than so much other 80s soul and fusion. Titles include the classic "Forget Me Nots", plus "Number One", "I Was Tired Of Being Alone", "Where There Is Love", "Breakout", "If Only", and "Remind Me". The album Now is a masterpiece of 80s groove with lots of jazzy touches! The keyboard sound has evolved a bit here – compressed with more electronic percussion than on Patrice's earlier records, but still done with a degree of soul that sets it apart from work by most of her contemporaries – and the music has this warm flow that really sets Rushen apart from the rest – a sublime mix of soul, funk, and fusion that holds together perfectly throughout! Titles include "Gotta Find It", "Gone With The Night", "My Love's Not Going Anywhere", "High In Me", "To Each His Own", "Heartache Heartbreak", and "Feels So Real". 5CD set features bonus tracks from original 12" singles – and other remixes too! CD

Funky genius from the legendary Stax studios! During the 60s, Stax was well known for their work in the soul music field – turning out hit singles by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and others – but after 1968, when the label finished their deal with Atlantic, they really started getting down and dirty, and hitting on all burners in the funk department. This tasty set features 21 tracks from those exiting years –many of them only ever issued on singles, and a few of them by some of the label's more famous LP artists – but all of them with a nice Memphis funky groove! Titles include "Turn Your Damper Down" by Rufus Thomas, "Broadway Freeze" by Harvey Scales, "Life Is Funky" by Round Robin Monopoly, "The Dryer" by Roy Lee Johnson, "She's My Old Lady Too" by Lee Sain, "Slipped & Tripped" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Brothers & Sisters" by Kim Weston, "Movin Dancer" by Bobby Holley, "Eli's Pork Chop" by Little Sonny, "A Man Never Knows" by Chris & Shack, "Grab A Handful" by Art Jerry Miller, "I'll Kill A Brick (About My Man)" by Hot Sauce, "Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone" by Inez Foxx, "Sock Soul" by The Bar Kays, and "Getting Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty! CD

A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really changing things up! The album's heavy on New York and Philly-based tracks, and some of the artists here are ones who'd had an earlier life in soul music, but were picking up the rhythms, adding in some larger arrangements, and creating grooves that really knocked the whole thing out of the park! The presentation here is based on a famous 1975 article that looked at the underground scene out in Brooklyn for New York magazine – later made famous as Saturday Night Fever – and as such, the tracks here are full of surprises, and very different than the usual disco-inspired compilation. Titles include "Just As Long As We're Together (single version)" by Gloria Scott, "After You've Had Your Fling" by The Intrepids, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "Mellow Me" by Faith Hope & Charity, "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Date With The Rain (LP version)" by Eddie Kendricks, "Georgia's After Hours" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "If That's The Way You Feel" by White Heat, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Tell Me What You Want" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Night Of The Wolf" by Ivano Fossati, "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy" by John Gary Williams, "You Can't Hide Love" by Creative Source, "Wendy Is Gone" by Ronnie McNeir, "Free & Easy" by Satyr, and "Keep It Up" by Betty Everett. CD

Four great albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – all together in one collection! First up is Lenox Avenue Breakdown – a stunning Columbia Records debut from Blythe! At the time of the date, Blythe had already spent years working in the jazz undergrounds on both coasts – developing a searing sound on alto sax that's perfect for the focused structure of this album – almost a tone poem of sorts, offering up a portrait of the Harlem scene that was a key part of Arthur's life at the time. The sounds are sharp, but also have a sense of energy that really holds them together – guiding the players through long readings of well-penned tunes by Blythe that are filled with loads of energy and life! Players include James Newton on flute, James Blood Ulmer on guitar, Bob Stewart on tuba, Cecil McBee on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Guillermo Franco on percussion – and titles include "Odessa", "Slidin Through", "Down San Diego Way", and "Lenox Avenue Breakdown". In The Tradition is a gem – as the set represents the modern musician taking on a host of older jazz currents, while carving things out with his own special sort of soul! Half the tunes are familiar favorites, the other half originals – and Blythe moves far past his avant roots, to showcase his deep understanding of so many different shades of jazz – blowing alto beautifully throughout, in a very hip quartet that features Stanley Cowell on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums! Titles include great takes on "Naima", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Caravan", and "In A Sentimental Mood" – plus the originals "Break Tune" and "Hip Dipper". Illusions is maybe the boldest of Arthur Blythe's albums for Columbia Records – as the set bristles with newly creative energy right from the start, and provides a great showcase for some of the criss-crossings of styles and rhythms that were taking place on the New York scene at the time! The lineup alone announces something special – a cool combination of James Blood Ulmer on guitar, John Hicks on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, Abdul Wadud on cello, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Steve McCall on drums – working together in some slight variations at times, often with these angular edges that are perfectly sharpened by Arthur's amazing work on alto sax. The music's never too free, but quite outside for a major label at the time – balanced out so that it's never overindulgent at all. Titles include "Bush Baby", "Miss Nancy", "My Son Ra", and "Carespin With Mamie". Blythe Spirit is a set that showcases the never-ending growth and imagination of reedman Arthur Blythe during this fruitful period of his career – and his ability to effortlessly blend together different elements in his music – especially sides of the New York loft jazz scene, and the Chicago-based AACM! The tunes are beautiful – mostly originals, and showing a richer spirituality than even a year before – while still working in that compellingly rhythmic mode that Arthur was hitting during these years – in a lineup that features Blythe on alto, Abdul Wadud on cello, Kelvyn Bell on guitar, Steve McCall and Bobby Battle on drums, John Hicks on piano, Amina Claudine Myers on organ, and Fred Hopkins on bass. The mix of electric and acoustic elements is fantastic – very fresh, even all these many years later – and titles include "Misty", "Spirits In The Field", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "Reverence", and "Contemplation". CD

Three vocal gems in a single set! First up is It Might As Well Be Love – a record that's a perfect example of the way that Ann Burton really stands out among the field of female jazz vocalists – as an artist who's both able to continue a classic legacy, yet also bring all sorts of special inflections and expressions of her own to really transform the music! At first glance, the record's in familiar territory – with combo backing from Mike Renzi on piano, Jay Berliner on guitar, Buster Williams on bass, and Grady Tate on drums – but the choice of material and Ann's execution really take the album into something fresh, different, and really unique – that little something extra that always makes Burton's more obscure albums always worth seeking out! Titles include "Sooner Or Later", "After You", "I Like You You're Nice", "Humpty Dumpty Heart", and "What'll I Do". That's All is an easygoing live set from vocalist Ann Burton – one that has her working with the trio of pianist Rob Agerbeek, and which features a few guest appearances from Mark Murphy! The whole thing's got an approach that makes you feel like you're right in the club with Ann – as Rob's trio handle a few titles instrumentally, then Ann steps in for vocals, and Mark Murphy makes a surprise appearance at the end. Recording quality is great – clean and clear, but never too much so to lose the spontaneity of the performance – and Ann herself is especially wonderful in the way she slides easily into the tunes, and sings them with a lively punch that really gives them a bit of new life. Titles include "Dreamer", "Blue Bossa", "Time Was", "My Gentleman Friend", "My Buddy", "I Wish I Were In Love Again", and "That's All". New York State Of Mind is wonderfully laidback vocal work from Ann Burton – a richly talented singer who really sounds best in a setting like this! The album's got Burton working with a trio – Grady Tate on drums, Buster Williams on bass, and sweet acoustic and electric piano from Michael Renzi. Burton interprets the tunes here with a classic care that's rare for a vocalist of her generation. The set was produced by Helen Merrill, which might well account for an approach that works so sympathetically with warm vocals. Titles include "You Started Something", "All Too Soon", "Never Never Land", "Come In From The Rain", and "I Can Dream, Can't I?" CD

The lost third album from CJ & Co – that totally groovy, totally tight group who were one of the best things going on Westbound Records in the late 70s! CJ & Co had a groove that was just right for the new club world of the time – but they also had a sharp instrumental approach that was much more tied to the Detroit funk of early 70s Westbound – and their sound was given a fantastic push and polish by the production team of Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey, who really keep things sounding strong throughout! These aren't leftover cuts, or the kind of material that was rejected at the time – and instead, the whole package has a quality level that really matches the classic Devil's Gun record by the group – a funky disco spectacular all the way through. Titles include "Is Your Love Life Better", "Ain't It Amazing", "Rainbow Music", "Brassband", "Get Lucky", "Rainmaker", "The Golden Touch", "Can't Believe You'd Break Your Promise", "Let Them Talk", "Boogie Love", and a rare "original mix" of "Devil's Gun". All tracks previously unreleased! CD

A fantastic document of a very cool group – one that we're not sure recorded any albums at the time, but who played on Dutch radio, with a lineup that featured some of the hippest cats on the scene at the time! The vibe is a bit like the work of Ruud Bos or Boy's Big Band – a very modern take on large ensemble material – full of life, color, and inventive phrasing – carried off by key soloists who include Ferdinand Povel on tenor, Frans Elsen on piano, Piet Noordijk on alto, Eddie Engels on trumpet, Frans Elsen on guitar, and Herman Schoonderwalt on alto and clarinet! The work is superbly recorded, and the set resonates strongly with the hippest large group material on Saba/MPS at the end of the 60s – very different than the sound of such a group just a few years before, with original material throughout, penned by members of the ensemble. Titles include "Last Moment", "Bluesy Joe", "Hobby Music", "Our Time", "Perka", "Bright Moment", "The Challenger", and "Twenty Four & More". CD

Post-Chic work from Bernard Edwards – and a groovy set! The album's got a very different style than Edwards' music with Chic – even though Nile Rodgers plays a fair bit of guitar on the record – and it's wonderful to hear Bernard's different style of music, let loose here on its own! There's a great mellow vibe to the whole thing – smooth-stepping numbers that have a hell of a lot of warmth, and less of the stiffer, colder sounds that were coming into Chic's music at the time. A few cuts have a bit of beats, but most of the instrumentation's pretty organic, almost older-styled soul at points – and titles include "Hard Loving Man", "Glad To Be Here", "Joy Of Life", "Don't Do Me Wrong", and "Your Love Is Good To Me". CD

Memphis music legend Charlie Feathers may not have hit the heights back in the day – but in the late 50s he cut some of the heaviest tracks on his scene, then kept going as kind of a "secret hero" of rock and roll for the decades to come! Feathers is one of those cats that only the coolest of the cool really dug at the time – and one who's gotten great attention from the hipper music writers in more recent generations – so much so that his legacy is likely a lot better known now than it was in the 60s! We can't think of a better artist to pick for one of the "Rocks" titles in this great Bear Family series – and like the other volumes, the well-chosen array of music is presented along with very detailed notes on the man and his contributions. The package features 31 tracks in all – mostly rarities from Feathers' earliest years – and titles include "Tongue Tied Jill", "Rain", "Too Much Alike", "Bottle To The Baby", "One Good Gal", "Wild Wild Party", "Oklahoma Hills", "Love Never Treated Me Right", "Cootzie Coo", "Wild Side Of Life", "Can't Hardly Stand It", and "Get With It". CD

A trio of albums from this great modern piano giant! Progressive is excellent work from pianist Don Friedman – a set that's definitely progressive, but which also has a heck of a lot of warmth too – that fantastic balance of new ideas and lyricism that made Friedman one of the freshest pianists to emerge in the 60s, and which continued strongly through the course of later records like this! The trio features Frank Luther on bass and Billy Hart on drums – both players who can move openly with Friedman, yet keep things swinging too – a balance that's maybe not instantly heard on record – in ways that are better than we could ever hope to put in words. Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "Stella By Starlight", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Moment's Notice", "I Remember You", and "All The Things You Are". Invitation is a set that's filled with standards, but really opened up in that amazing way we've come to expect from the great pianist Don Friedman! The record's maybe a bit down to earth in its overall setting than some of Don's other dates from the 70s, but right from the start, Friedman finds a way to leave his mark on the tunes – working with excellent bass from George Mraz, and drums from Ronnie Bedford – the latter of whom is a great drummer who brings a surprising crackle to the record at times! Titles include great versions of "Invitation" and "Little Boat" – plus "You Go To My Head", "It Could Happen To You", "Gone With The Wind", and "I Can't Get Started". On The Composer, Don Friedman's acting as a composer as well, and is set up in a nicely different setting! The album features a core group with Martin Wind on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums, augmented by a string quartet who bring a wonderful sense of flavor to the music – opening up all the fantastic colors and tones in Don's tunes – almost amplifying his wonderful work on the piano, and never getting in the way of the jazz aspect of the record at all! The feel is very different than a "with strings" session – almost as if there's an extra paintbrush in Friedman's toolbox – and on a few tracks, the group is also joined by the baritone sax of Gary Smulyan, who further deepens the colors of the record. Titles include "Summer's End", "Friday Morning", "Waltz For Marilyn", "Red Sky Waltz", "Delayed Gratification", and "Memory Of Scotty". CD

The last album to some from the brilliant team of Peter Howell and John Ferdinando – the partners behind the Ithaca and Agincourt albums – coming across here with one of their greatest sets ever! The music here is a bit more focused and polished than before – taking the best folk and psychedelic elements, and folding them together in a sweet sound that's almost Sunshine Pop – but which is obviously a few years later than the rest of the genre! The vocals often have a slight harmony approach, and there's a strong rhythmic undercurrent to many numbers – not really funky, but a lot more grooving than you might expect – again, a quality that we really appreciate in Sunshine Pop! Titles include "Memories", "Lonely Road", "You Need Friends", "Tale Of Your Life", "In The Morning", "Come Inside", "Take A Walk", and "Once In A Winter Town". CD

From the sound of this set, Tracy Hamlin's a singer with no limits at all – both in the sound of her music, and the joyous energy she brings to this album! The set's not Tracy's first, but it's got this bold power that makes us feel like we're discovering the singer all over again – as Hamlin emerges with this pride and positive sensibility that sets the record on fire from the very first note – and really keeps things burning strong all the way through. There's a slight touch of classic soul in the mix – echoes of some of the best 70s female soul singers – but there's nothing retro about the record at all, because the whole thing's clearly cast in Hamlin's own voice – which is very strong indeed. Frank McComb guests on the track "My Good Day" – and other titles include "Cover Me", "No Limits", "Givin Me Sumthin", "Forever With You", "One Day In Your Life", and "Plans For Two". CD also features four bonus remixes, too! CD

Three great 60s albums from jazz singer Carmen McRae – all in a single set! Second To None is one of Carmen McRae's best records of the 60s – an album done with beautiful arrangements from Peter Matz, who's probably best known for his work with Barbara Streisand at the time – and who really helps McRae take her music to the next level! Carmen was already one of the most sophisticated jazz singers of the 50s – but in the following decade, she really perfected her phrasing – and was able to grab material and make it completely her own – all with a mode that's steeped in the special sort of inflections a jazz singer can bring, but which is also able to maybe be even more adult in approach overall. The strings soar, the percussion is fairly spare and often a little bit off kilter – and Carmen emphasizes her phrasing and more earthy tendencies without any empty histrionics – on titles that include "In The Love Vain", "The Music Makes Me Dance", "Too Good", "Once Upon A Summertime", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Cloudy Morning". Live & Doin It is about as strong an example of the genius of Carmen McRae as you could ever hope to find – a live album that displays Carmen's impeccable phrasing in a very stripped-down setting – and one that also swings with a fair degree of sophisticated soul as well! Back in the 50s, Carmen paved the way for later stars like Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – and here, she outdoes both of them with effortless ease – working with a very cool trio that features Norman Simmons on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and a very young Stu Martin on drums. The set's got that strong understanding of soul that was explored even more fully in her Atlantic Records years – which really transforms tracks in unexpected ways. Titles include "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Quiet Nights", "Trouble Is A Man", "My Ship Has Sailed", "No Where", "Meaning Of The Blues", and "I Only Have Eyes For You". Haven't We Met is great work from Carmen McRae – light and groovy one minute, deeply expressive the other – but all with a sense of balance that few other singers can touch at this point in her career! Carmen's already moved past straight jazz, yet she also avoids the traps of bigger label commercial singers too – really making the best of the sophisticated charts by Don Sebesky, yet also always reminding us who's in charge! The album's on a par with the excellent work to come for Atlantic records – and titles include the groovy "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", "Who Can I Turn To?", "He Loves Me", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Limehouse Blues", "I'm Foolin' Myself", "Fools and Lovers", and the title track – a wonderfully groovy take on the Kenny Rakin tune "Haven't We Met". CD

A pair of early 70s easy listening gems – back to back on an SACD! First up is Tony & Strings – on which the sweet guitar of Tony Mottola mixes with some well-arranged strings – all given the lean presentation of Enoch Light in the 70s, which makes for music that's a great change from the way such sounds would have been handled a decade before! Titles include "It's Going To Take Some Time", "Nature Boy", "The Candy Man", "Song Sung Blue", "Street Of Dreams", "Theme From The Godfather", and the originals "Marcello's Mazurka" and "Bossa La La La". Close To You is a sweet set that's billed as "guitar for lovers", and which has the lean sound of Tony Mottola updated nicely with some Project 3 touches for the 70s! The record's got an unusual mix of tracks – some 70s, some older, and even a Christmas tune too – and Bucky Pizzarelli and Dick Hyman make guest appearances too! Tites include "Wave", "Didn't We", "Close To You", "Moon River/What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Yesterday When I Was Young", "We've Only Just Begun", and "The Christmas Song". CD

A wonderful package – four full albums by one of the most unique groups of their time! First up is These Things Too – the first Reprise album from Pearls Before Swine – a bit more straight ahead and folksy than their work for ESP – but in a really great way, one that lets you hear the best of Tom Rapp's amazing songs and vocals! The album follows in a tradition that includes Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Leonard Cohen, and Fred Neil – but it's also got a really unique style that's the unique province of Tom Rapp – the main force behind the group, and the voice on all of the tunes. Rapp's vision was quite unique for the time – not nearly as revolutionary or personally preoccupied – more sad at the fading world, and granted with a unique ability to paint any subject in shades of blue. Titles include "Wizard Of Is", "Frog In The Window", "Footnote", "Look Into Her Eyes", "These Things Too", and "Mon Amour". Use Of Ashes is an incredibly beautiful album from Pearls Before Swine – one that uses light orchestrations to create a baroquely folksy sort of feel – easily elevating the album past previous efforts, into classic territory we'd rank with the best from Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen! The whole album's great – with fragile and haunting songs from Tom Rapp, all supported by sparsely arranged instrumentation that includes harpsichord, flute, oboe, cello, and dobro. Genius throughout – and a clear inspiration for music still being made 30 years later – with classic tracks that include "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Song About A Rose", "The Old Man", "When The War Began", and "From The Movie Of The Same Name". Next is Beautiful Lies You Could Live In – one of the most perfectly formed albums ever recorded by Tom Rapp's enigmatic group Pearls Before Swine – a record that does an incredible job of skirting between Rapp's earthy sense of the planet's passing, and his ambitions for larger forums of expression. The core group is lightly folksy – with strong use of acoustic guitar that goes far beyond any folk rock cliches – plus some additional arrangements that feature contributions from the team of Bob Dorough and Stu Scharf, who seem to have a habit of appearing on under-discovered gems like this one, and making them sound all that more hip! The whole thing's great – filled with beautiful songs that should have been as over-recorded as the best by Tim Hardin or Leonard Cohen – with titles that are even better, too! Tracks include "Snow Queen", "A Life", "Butterflies", "Simple Things", "Freedom", "She's Gone", and "Island Lady". Last up is City Of Gold – a return to folksier forms for Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine – working here in territory that's very different than some of the baroque light arrangements used on previous records. Rapp's emerging as a more confident singer/songwriter – recording in an almost Dylan-like setting, but with more of the irony of Leonard Cohen, and as always, working in a timeless idiom that's still beginning to be understood more than 30 years after its inception. Beautiful work throughout – as earthy as it is majestic – and with titles that include "My Father", "The Man", "Once Upon A Time", "City Of Gold", "Nancy", and "Wedding". CD

One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis – and although there's some of the usual Kudu electric funk in the mix, there's also some deeper soul elements too – a vibe that's often a bit laidback and open, almost more Atlantic Records at points – which is a mighty good fit for Esther's wonderful voice! As usual for Kudu, the players are an all-star lineup – one that includes Richard Tee on keyboards, George Benson on guitar, Maceo Parker on tenor, and Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham on drums – and Don Sebesky's also on deck a bit, to sweeten a few tracks up with light strings. The album's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Use Me" that features a tasty break in the intro – and other titles include a great version of "Alone Again (Naturally)", plus the cuts "Let's Move & Groove", "Cherry Red", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You & Me Together". CD

A really special album from French tenorist Barney Wilen – a set of tunes originally recorded to accompany a graphic novel about his troubled life – done at a time when Wilen had emerged from years of obscurity, and was opening up a whole new chapter in his music! The presentation here is a bit different than some of his other records of the time – as Wilen blows tenor on a set of tracks that follow the musical journey of his life – early standards, French new wave soundtrack themes, and even some of the global experiments he did while in Africa – before turning to some of the strong work that he did on his return. The group is wonderful – the great Alain Jean Marie on piano, Philippe Petit on guitar, Ricardo Sel Fra on bass, and Sangoma Everett on drums – and titles include "Besame Mucho", "Goodbye", "Triste Again", "Whisper Not", "Un Baiser Rouge", and "Les Jours Heureux". This great package features new mastering of the album, 28 page booklet of liner notes and photos, a bonus CD with a live 1989 performance with Jacky Terrasson on piano – and four bonus tracks added to the original album! CD

A stunning overview of work from the small D-Vine Spirituals label in Memphis – a really homegrown imprint who were as important to the sound of the city's spiritual music as Stax Records was to soul in the 60s! In fact, the vibe here is often more 60s than 70s – maybe a testament to the finances of D-Vine when it came to recording this music – but also an indication of the way the company was able to go to the roots of what makes these tracks great – which is usually just a great lead voice or tight harmonies, and an important message in the music! This wonderful collection brings together rare 45rpm tracks issued by the label – and titles on this first volume include "God's Going To Blow Out The Sun" by Elder Ward & The Gospel Four, "I Feel Like Flying Away" by The Joy Of Memphis, "When I Looked" by The Traveling Stars, "The Reason I Love Him" by The Kingdom Airs, "Where You Gonna Run" by The D-Vine Spiritualettes, "One River To Cross" by The Seven Brothers, "Look At Your Life" by Evelyn Taylor, and "I'm A Soldier In God's Army" by The Southern Sons. CD

A massive batch of mixes from dancefloor maestro John Luongo – a set that's heavy on cuts from the 80s in many styles, and which has some other surprises in the mix as well! Luongo was one of those talents who did a great job of bringing underground dancefloor modes to a more mainstream audience – and he finds grooves in cuts that might not normally have gotten such strong club treatment on their own, or in the hands of another remix talent! This 2LP set features some of the best work that Luongo did back in the day – titles that include "The Best (ext mighty mix)" by Tina Turner, "Suspicious Minds (suspicious mix)" by Fine Young Cannibals, "The Chinese Way (New York rmx)" by Level 42, "Out In The Night (12" version)" by Serge Ponsar, "Give It Up (12" version)" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "Missing You (ext version)" by John Waite, "Eyes Without A Face (full length version)" by Billy Idol, "Look Of Love (part 3 – dance version)" by ABC, "Fade To Grey (US 12" version)" by Visage, "Blind Vision (ext version)" by Blancmange, "Shy Boy (US ext version)" by Bananarama, "Tarzan Boy (ext dance version)" by Baltimora, "Relight My Fire (historical 1979 rmx)" by Dan Hartman with Loleatta Holloway, "You Stepped Into My Life (John Luongo rmx)" by Melba Moore, and "Music Is My Way Of Life (John Luongo rmx)" by Patti Labelle – plus more from Soft Cell, Bill Nelson, Sharon Ridley, Fantasy, Material, Cabaret Voltaire, Cher, ZZ Top, Gonzalez, Marlena Shaw, Jackie Moore, and others. 4CD set features 43 tracks in all – and includes a 32 page booklet, with rare photos, track annotations, and an essay on Luongo's music! CD

A fantastic trip through the archive with Volcov – even if most of the cuts here are a bit more recent than those that usually get archival status! And yet in a way, many of these cuts almost went to the archives directly – especially in this digital age for modern soul and club, where so many great singles and albums don't make it onto vinyl – and fade fast in the fast rush of new music hitting the internet. That's why we love collections like this so much – as Volcov's done a great job of grabbing the best bits from the past decade or so, and weaving them together as a strong reminder of how much wonderful soul music is being created on this planet – most of it still waiting to be discovered. There's a few older bits here, but most tracks are contemporary – and titles include "Caterpillar" by Rebirth, "All That Glitters" by Carleen Anderson, "Let The Music Play" by Collective Peace, "Spiraling Prism" by Ian O'Brien, "Ori Space" by Ron Trent, "Turn It Around (Eric Lau rmx)" by Ruth Koleva, "Planet Birth (Xantone Blacq rmx/Volcov edit)" by Intuit with Andy Bey, "Lawra (Volcov edit)" by Tony Williams, "Blue Room (Kaidi Tatham's shokazulu rmx)" by Quentin Kane & Simon Sheldon with TK Blue, "Finding The Peace" by Skymark, "I Put A Spell On You" by Honey Sweet with Cindy Mizelle, and "After Life (part 2)" by Harry Whitaker. CD

More funky breaks than Evel Knevel after the Snake River Canyon jump! The groove hounds at BGP records were set loose on the Ace catalog – which includes holdings from Atlantic, Stax, Volt, Westbound, and other funky classic labels – and they managed to come up with a killer batch of funky cuts, even though this is their 3rd dip into the crates! If anything, perhaps they dipped even deeper this time – especially as some of the once-trusted sources for breaks, like the famous Ultimate Breaks & Beats series, are now disappearing from the market. Titles include "Soul Pad" by The Coasters, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Nappy Dugout" by Funkadelic, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by The Mad Lads, "The Rose" by 50 Foot Hose, "Holy Ghost" by The Bar Kays, "No Strings Attached" by The Mad Lads, "After Laughter Comes Tears" by Wendy Rene, "River's Invitation" by Freddie Robinson, "This House Is Smokin" by BT Express, "Music Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Pleasure Web, and "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter. CD

The Elcados serve up a new sort of Nigerian groove for the end of the 70s – one that's got an electric vibe that definitely matches the look of their sweet suits on the cover! There's a fair bit of keyboards amidst the guitars that riff along with the rhythms – and the style has a bit of a reggae current, too – not all-out Jamaican sounds, but kind of an extrapolation of Kingston roots, fused with sweeter 70s Afro Soul modes! Some cuts are instrumentals, and may well be the best on the set – especially the tripped-out guitar jammer "Funky Music" – alongside other tunes that include "Whatever You Need", "The World Is Full Of Injustice", "Marry The Poor", and "This Is Life". CD

Melissa Errico's maybe not the best-known jazz singer on the scene, but she's very well-remembered for this fantastic set of tunes penned by Michel Legrand – all set to very sublime orchestrations by Legrand himself! The feel here is lush – both in the fullness of Errico's vocals, and in the way Michel sets the tunes up – in a mode that's very different than some of the more laidback interpretations of his work – and at a level that reminds us that, more than most, Legrand has a fantastic sense of instrumental color when given the right tools. Melissa more than matches that energy, with very personal interpretations of Legrand tunes both famous and lesser-known – a set list that includes "Dis Moi", "In Another Life", "I Will Wait For You", "His Eyes Her Eyes", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Celui La", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Maybe Someone Dreamed Us", and "How Do You Keep The Music Playing". Expanded version features a full bonus CD of material – unissued tracks "Little Boy Lost", "The Way He Makes Me Feel", "Hurry Home", and "I Haven't Thought Of This In Quite A While" – plus studio demos with Legrand of six more tunes, and even a section of the pair of them at work! CD

A really different record from drummer Joe Farnsworth – a player we always love for a rock-solid approach to his music, but who here is clearly opening up a new chapter in his life – one that really offers a great variation on the sorts of expectations you might have when you see his name on a record! The record's got a gentle flow that's different than the usual Farnsworth drive – with the drummer laying back, and letting some electric elements in the group flow nicely – including the piano and Fender Rhodes of Julius Rodriguez, guitar of Kurt Rosenwinkel, and alto of Immanuel Wilkins – all players we've never heard with Joe before. Bassist Robert Hurst is as rock-solid as always – and titles include a wonderful remake of the spiritual classic "In What Direction Are You Heading", plus "Safe Corners", "Bobby No Bags", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Filters", "Terra Nova", and "Anyone But You". CD

A gem of a record from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – one of our favorite jazz musicians of the past 20 years, and an artist who just seems to be growing and growing with each new release! This set picks up on the organic, meditative quality of some of Halsall's recent records – but it also has a bit more bite, and is maybe almost a return to the roots of his earliest records on the Gondwana label – those classics that first made us fall in love with his music over a decade ago, and which made Matthew a real front-runner of the current global spiritual jazz underground! The set's got this very rich presentation – as the leader's work on trumpet is mixed with harp from Maddie Herbert, flute and tenor from Matt Cliffe, piano and kalimba from Livin Gheorghe, and great use of percussion, bass, and drums – all on long tracks that build with the best sort of post-Coltrane energy – titles that include "Joyful Spirits Of The Universe", "Mindfulness Meditations", "Tropical Landscapes", "Harmony With Nature", and "The Energy Of Life". CD

A trio of fantastic duet albums from this legendary team – all presented in a single set! Me & The First Lady is the second record to pair the incredible vocals of George Jones and Tammy Wynette – and it also marks a real shift in the careers of both musicians – a rise to the more introspective, mature style that Jones would explore very strongly on his Columbia sides to come! Both singers were more upbeat in the 60s, and maybe had some more gimmicks to some of their songs – yet here, they come together in this very sophisticated style that's mindblowing – all put together with superb Billy Sherrill production. Titles include "A Lovely Place To Cry", "We Believe In Each Other", "The Great Divide", "The Ceremony", "We're Gonna Try To Get Along", "Lovin You Is Worth It", and "It's Been A Beautiful Life". We're Gonna Hold On is a set that's maybe marking some of the personal rift between George Jones and Tammy Wynette in its title – yet a record that still has a wonderfully unified feel between two of the most amazing voices in country music! The match of styles, moods, and moments is superb – way different than just the sort of playful male/female country that was forged in years past – and a real standard-setting performance that includes "The Jet Set", "We're Gonna Hold On", "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms", "That Man Of Mine", "If Loving You Starts Hurting Me", and "The Woman Loves Me Right". Golden Ring is a stunning record from the duo of George Jones and Tammy Wynette – a set that could be easily written off as a reflection of their shaky relationship – yet instead the kind of material that has the pair continuing to plumb emotive and vocal depths that few other country singers could ever hope to touch! The album works wonderfully as a unified whole – a testament to the strengths and struggles of human relationships, delivered by two singers who had plenty of life under their belts by the time of the session – and who still know how to come together on their vocals in a way that's unlike anyone else before, then, or since. Titles include "Golden Ring", "Keep The Change", "Near You", "Even The Bad Times Are Good", "Did You Ever", "Tattletale Eyes", "Cryin Time", and "If You Don't Somebody Else Will". CD

A massive package of work from the mighty Kool & The Gang – 6 full albums from the 80s, served up here in a 3CD set! First up is Ladies Night – a shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but a record that's still pretty darn great as well! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves that really step out and make the whole thing move. Other tracks include "Ladies Night", "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", "If You Feel Like Dancin", and "Got You Into My Life". The next album is Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight". As One is solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". In The Heart is a sweet set that's part of a big early 80s run from Kool & The Gang – a time that saw the funk legends really hitting the mainstream, and winning over a huge new audience in the process! Given that the Gang virtually invented ensemble funk at the start of the 70s, they're perfectly poised here to move into modes that so many of their younger competition were trying – but never did so well – that blend of 80s elements and more sharply-fused funk instrumentation, all honed down into a tightly snapping groove. The real surprise, though, is the group's growing ability for ballads – which put records like this into hands of folks who never would have dug their funk a few years before. And while we might have had a few problems with that shift at the time, the passage of years has got the whole thing sounding pretty darn great to our ears – especially in comparison to so much weaker work from the time. Titles include "In The Heart", "Joanna", "Tonight", "Straight Ahead", "September Love", "You Can Do It", and "Home Is Where The Heart Is". Last up is Emergency – one of the key classics from the second chapter of the group – when their lineup and sound were a lot leaner than before, and they managed to cross over big to a much wider audience than before! The upbeat cuts show that the group were still kings of the funky dancefloor – and the mellower ones are equally great too – showing a rising ballad style that proved to be the group's big crossover card at the time – a way of putting over a laidback track, but with plenty of soul. This approach is heard to great effect on the album's great single "Cherish" – and other tracks include "Bad Woman", "Surrender", "Emergency", "Misled", "Fresh", and "You Are The One". CD

A really classic-styled vocal set from singer Junko Mine – one that also features superb tenor solos from the great Hidehiko Sleepy Matsumoto – who punctuates the music in all the right ways! The set's a 70s album, but done with the care and class of a Verve Records vocal session from back in the day – mixing Junko's vocals with some small combo backings and some larger arrangements – all wrapped around a set of American standards that take on a great new life here, thanks to Mine's unique phrasing. The set features a great bongo-driven version of "On A Clear Day" – plus "Where Or When", "Spring Is Here", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "I Wish You Love", All The Way", and "I've Got You Under My Skin". CD

Four albums that show the continuing evolution of Earl Scruggs in the 70s – with a sound that's very different than his earlier music, and maybe even sharper instrumentation overall! First up is I Saw The Light – a record made after the famous banjo pioneer split with Lester Flatt, and was very popular with a young rock crowd – as evidenced by help he gets here from Linda Ronstadt and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – not to mention Gary and Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and Norman Blake! The mix of famous names and the growing Scruggs Review sound is great – and the record is an unlikely but important entry in the rise of country rock during the early 70s, with a very different quality than some of Earl's earlier work. We might well thank the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – as the vibe is similar at times to their shifting music of the period – mixed with some Mike Nesmith inspiration, as a few of his tunes are included. Titles include "Lonesome & A Long Way From Home", "Silver Wings", "Never Ending Song Of Love", "Rock Sant & Nails", "Some Of Shelly's Blues", "It's A Picture From Life's Other Side", and "Propinquity". Features bonus tracks "The Cure", "I Saw The Light", "Fireball Mail", and "Tramp On The Street". On Live From Austin City Limits, the great Earl Scruggs takes on the growing Austin scene – which turns out to be a perfect fit for his Revue's blend of new country modes and older styles of instrumentation! Earl leads off the set with stunning work on banjo – maybe even sharper than earlier years – and the group lead off with some Dylan material at the start, showcasing some of their rock leanings – but soon bringing on other songs of their own, and making for this beautiful mix of key instrumental moments and lyrical passages. Lead vocals are from Gary Scruggs, and Randy and Steve Scruggs are in the group too – on titles that include "Nashville Skyline Rag", "I Shall Be Released", "Tall Texas Woman", "I Just Can't Seem To Change", "Black Mountain Blues", "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven", and "The Swimming Song". Strike Anywhere is a mighty nice album from the great Earl Scruggs – recorded with his boys' Revue group, and a sound that really helps keep Earl's instrumentation fresh for the 70s! Years back, we never would have thought that mixing the legendary Scruggs banjo sound with keyboards would have worked – but the change here is a great one, as Earl makes the shift that a few of his traditional instrumental contemporaries were doing at the time – such as Vassar Clements or Bashful Brother Oswald – finding a new setting for the instruments that still shine out in the lead at all the best moments. Titles include a great remake of "Mandolin Wind" – plus "Muhammad Ali", "Bring It On Home To Me", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Think Of You", and "Dreaming As One". On Bold & New, the great Chips Moman produced and recorded the record – a set that shows that move that Earl had made into country rock during the decade, delivered in the best possible hands! Vocals are from some of Earl's sons, and the man himself still gets gets in plenty of banjo solos too – as the group mix their own material with a few from Bobby Emmons, who plays organ, electric piano, and clavinet on the set. Titles include "The Cabin", "Our Love Is Home Grown", "That's Alright Mama", "Found Myself A New Love", "Games People Play", "Take The Time To Fall In Love", and "Louisiana Lady". CD

Five years of amazing sounds from Dexter Wansel – a keyboardist who could be as far out as his fiercest fusion contemporaries of the 70s, yet also groove with enough soulful styles to be a key part of the Philadelphia International explosion of the 70s! This massive collection really gets at all that made Wansel so great back in the day – his incredible ear for inventive arrangements, spacey way of spinning out a soul tune, and great sense of balance that never made his music sound overdone – always an effortless blend of jazz, soul, and funk – in ways that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to touch! Many of these tunes have vocals, but they also have plenty of keyboard solos too – kind of like CTI hitting a Philly groove, but one that was definitely reserved for the hipper spaces of the clubs – or the hipper clubs out there in outer space. 2CD set features great notes, sublime sound, and a killer batch of 32 tracks that includes "Life On Mars", "Disco Lights", "Let Me Rock You", "I'll Never Forget My Favorite Disco (12" version)", "The Sweetest Pain", "Holdin On", "One Million Miles From The Ground", "Rings Of Saturn", "Theme From The Planets", "Funk Attack", "Stargazer", "Ode Infinitum", "Latin Love", "Let Me Rock You", "Holdin On", "Prelude 1", "New Beginning", "Time Is The Teacher", "A Prophet Named KG", "I Just Want To Love You", "All Night Long", "It's Been Cool", "Voyager", and "Time Is Slipping Away". CD

A massive blend of funk, soul, and gospel – from a small side label in the TK Records universe of the 70s! The sound is like some of the best soul LPs on TK from the time, and the arrangements have a nice warm feel – plenty of sweet Miami elements in the music, especially in the rhythms, which really know how to groove! The King James Version is comprised of five female singers, working with the warmth and depth you might get with Voices Of East Harlem – and they're arranged by keyboardist Gloster Williams, who also wrote some of the material, and delivers these solid lines that really hold the whole thing together. Most of the tracks have a distinct vocal lead, with harmony backing in the style of The Sweet Inspirations – and the album's honestly the sort of set you'd expect to hear on Atlantic Records in the early 70s – given the depth and feeling in the music. Titles include "What Good Is A Song", "There's Not A Friend", "Touch My Life", "No, Not One", and "Get Ready For This". CD

One of the landmark albums of 70s mellow soul! Bobby Wilson hasn't left behind much of a recorded legacy, but he did come up with this godlike album that should be in any collection of classic soul. The record is a perfect blending of the styles of soul that were running through the east coast underground of the early 70s – with some elements of the burgeoning club scene on the more uptempo numbers, and a sweet warm vocal style on the album's super-strong mellow cuts. Vernon Bullock arranged, produced, and wrote most of the songs with Bobby – and the record takes the best elements of Vernon's own music, and pushes it to the next level. Titles include "Deeper & Deeper", "Here Is Where The Love Is", "I'll Take Good Care Of You", "Hey, Girl (Tell Me)", "All I Need (I've Got)", "You Make Me Feel Good All Over", "Let Me (Put Love Back In Your Life)" and "I'll Be Your Rainbow". CD