A second unearthed gem from pianist Horace Tapscott at the Lighthouse club in 1979 – very sharp stuff featuring a solid group of Nimbus players! Volume 2 was recorded on October 11, appropriately the night after the set featured on Lighthouse 79 Vol 1, with Tapscott leading the way, and setting up a groove with on the piano, while the group pounces when ready The players are Reggie Bullen on trumpet, Gary Bias on alto, Roberto Miranda and David Bryant on bass, and George Goldsmith on drums. It's an impeccable balance of subtle, slow building melodicism and sharp, emphatic group play & soloing! Totally great stuff, and absolutely worth a second helping. Titles include "Acirfa", "Niger's Theme", the epic "Stella By Starlight", "Lush Life" (at 6+ minutes, the only number in the set that runs less than 10 minutes) and "Inspiration Of Silence". CD

With Ray Bryant on tenor and flute, George Duvivier on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Buddy Tate on tenor sax and clarinet, Ray Bryant on piano, Alan Dawson on drums, George Duvivier on bass, Eddie Vinson on alto sax, and Arnett Cobb on tenor sax. LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from drummer Art Taylor – given that he's got some very heavy-duty horn power on the session, all of whom are heavy-duty wailers! Most of the record features a lineup with Charlie Rouse on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, and Donald Byrd on trumpet – all taking off beautifully from some simple, rhythmic modes laid down by Taylor on drums, Ray Bryant on piano, and Wendell Marshall on bass. Most tracks are quite long – and include "Batland", "Cubano Chant", "Off Minor", "Well You Needn't", and "Exhibit A". One more track changes things slightly – and goes for a group that features John Coltrane on tenor, with Red Garland on piano and Paul Chambers on bass – a version of "CTA" that cooks every bit as nicely as other work on the set, although with less horns! CD

Features Curtis Robert Macdonald on alto, Roman Filiu on alto sax and flute, Jose Davila on tuba, Crhistopher Hoffman on cello, David Bryant and Luis Perdomo on piano, David Virelles on piano and harmonium, and Craig Weinrib on drums and percussion. CD

Henry Threadgill on alto saxophone, flute and bass flute, Roman Filiu on alto flute and alto saxophone, Curtis Macdonald on alto saxophone, Ben Gerstein and Jacob Garchik on trombone, Jonathan Finlayson and Stephanie Richards on trumpet, Jose Davila on tuba, David Bryant on piano, David Virelles on piano and harmonium, Christopher Hoffman on celo, Liberty Ellman on guitar, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Craig Weinrib and Elliott Humberto Kavee on drums and percussion. CD

Speedy West may be the greatest pedal steel slinger in the history of the instrument, and together with ace guitarist Jimmy Bryant they bridged the gap between the 50s Western swing of Bob Wills and the soon to arrive Sun Records sound with their pioneering country-jazz instrumentals. This is essential stuff for fans of traditional country stompers – or sweaty, swaggering boogie in any genre! Tracks include "Stratosphere Boogie", "Blue Bonnet Rag", "Cotton' Picking", "Old Joe Clark", "Slepwalker's Lullaby", "Arkansas Traveler", "The Night Rider", "Speedin' West", "Comin' On", "Bryant's Bounce", "Pickin' Peppers", "Shuffleboard Rag", "Filppin' The Lid" and lots more. CD

An excellent album by Mary Lou Williams – a set recorded during the 70s period when she was mixing in a bit of funk with her jazz! The sound here is wonderful – quite different than other work you might know from Williams, and much more in the sort of groove you'd expect from Junior Mance, Ray Bryant, Ramsey Lewis, or other soul jazz-oriented pianists! Williams plays acoustic piano in a very hip trio with Mickey Roker on drums and Bob Cranshaw on electric bass – the latter of whom brings in this well-rounded, soul-drenched tone that's a lot like the bass work on some of Monty Alexander's own best albums from the 70s. And Williams herself is totally great too – playing with some slightly exotic tones at points, and with a really in-the-pocket groove at others. Funky tracks include "Intermission" and "Rosa Mae" – and other titles include "Ghost Of Love", "Medi II", "Zoning Fungus", and a great version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Olinga". CD also features 2 previously unreleased tracks – "Syl-O-Gism" and an alternate of "Gloria". CD

An excellent album by Mary Lou Williams – a set recorded during the 70s period when she was mixing in a bit of funk with her jazz! The sound here is wonderful – quite different than other work you might know from Williams, and much more in the sort of groove you'd expect from Junior Mance, Ray Bryant, Ramsey Lewis, or other soul jazz-oriented pianists! Williams plays acoustic piano in a very hip trio with Mickey Roker on drums and Bob Cranshaw on electric bass – the latter of whom brings in this well-rounded, soul-drenched tone that's a lot like the bass work on some of Monty Alexander's own best albums from the 70s. And Williams herself is totally great too – playing with some slightly exotic tones at points, and with a really in-the-pocket groove at others. Funky tracks include "Intermission" and "Rosa Mae" – and other titles include "Ghost Of Love", "Medi II", "Zoning Fungus", and a great version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Olinga". CD also features 2 previously unreleased tracks – "Syl-O-Gism" and an alternate of "Gloria". CD

A very hip set of arrangements by LA bandleader Gerald Wilson – and one that takes his soul jazz stylings of earlier albums, and gives them a bit more of a late 60s funky sound. The band's pretty darn hip, and includes players like Anthony Ortega, Hadley Caliman, and Bobby Bryant – and titles include a nice working of "California Soul", plus "Lullaby From Rosemary's Baby", "Sunshine Of Your Love", and "Down Here On The Ground". LP, Vinyl record album

Late great work from the mighty Gerald Wilson – done with a slightly different groove than his 60s sides! The group features Harold Land Jr on electric piano – plus Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Oscar Brashear on trumpet and flugelhorn, Garnett Brown and Thurman Green on trombones, Harold Land and Ernie Watts on tenor and flute, and Mike Wofford on Mason Hamlin BB piano! Tracks are long, and titles include "Lomelin", "Ay Ee En", "Blues For Zubin", "You Know", and "Triple Chase". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a weird one, because the album was recorded in the studio and not on stage – but we're hardly going to complain, because the record's so great! Wilson is really cooking for this one – leading an all-great group that includes Curtis Amy, Roy Ayers, Jack Wilson, Joe Pass, Bobby Bryant, Anthony Ortega, and other 60s LA soul jazz luminaries – all coming together in a style that's certainly big band, but which allows plenty of space for breakout solos – and which really grooves a lot more like a small combo session than you might expect! Titles include "Los Moros De Espana", "In The Limelight", "Musette", "Lighthouse Blues", and "El Viti". LP, Vinyl record album

The midnight sugar here comes from pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – who's playing with a soulful, bluesy sort of style – one that reminds us a bit of Ray Bryant back in the 60s, but which also comes across here with a fair bit of lighter, lyrical touches as well! As with other Three Blind Mice albums from the time, the tracks here are all longish and open-ended – recorded with a nice sort of brightness that breaks from other jazz traditions, and moving in surprising ways at each new twist and turn. The group also features the great Isao Fukui on bass and Tetsujiro Obara on drums – and titles include "I'm A Fool To Want You", "Midnight Sugar", "The Nearness Of You", and "Sweet Georgia Blues". CD

Jazzy 45s galore – and a huge dip into the vaults of Prestige Records! This tasty set brings together 18 classics recorded in the heyday of the jazz funk years at Prestige – the late 60s and early 70s, a time when the soul jazz sounds of previous years were being forged into a leaner, meaner, harder-hitting groove. And although the LP was the growing format during these days, there was actually a heck of a lot of great work issued on 45s – still spinning strong with the jukebox crowds in the clubs and tap rooms, and still getting major play on radio stations, where the single was still king. The set features many 45 mixes of funky classics that you might know from LPs – and intersperses them with some other more obscure numbers pulled from full albums – making for an all-solid, all-funky set of tracks from one of the hippest jazz labels ever! Titles include "Fire Eater" by Rusty Bryant, "Don't Knock My Love" by Idris Muhammad, "Jungle Strut" by Gene Ammons, "Express Yourself" by Idris Muhammad, "Right On" by Boogaloo Joe Jones, "Who's Gonna Take The Weight" by Melvin Sparks, "Sing A Simple Song" by Charles Earland, "Son Of Man" by Houston Person, "Listen Here (part 1)" by Freddie McCoy, "Black Talk (part 1)" by Charles Earland, "Message From The Meters" by Leon Spencer, "Reelin With The Feeling" by Charles Kynard, "I Want You Back" by Harold Mabern, and "Thank You (part 1)" by Melvin Sparks. CD

Jazzy 45s galore – and a huge dip into the vaults of Prestige Records! This tasty set brings together 18 classics recorded in the heyday of the jazz funk years at Prestige – the late 60s and early 70s, a time when the soul jazz sounds of previous years were being forged into a leaner, meaner, harder-hitting groove. And although the LP was the growing format during these days, there was actually a heck of a lot of great work issued on 45s – still spinning strong with the jukebox crowds in the clubs and tap rooms, and still getting major play on radio stations, where the single was still king. The set features many 45 mixes of funky classics that you might know from LPs – and intersperses them with some other more obscure numbers pulled from full albums – making for an all-solid, all-funky set of tracks from one of the hippest jazz labels ever! Titles include "Fire Eater" by Rusty Bryant, "Don't Knock My Love" by Idris Muhammad, "Jungle Strut" by Gene Ammons, "Express Yourself" by Idris Muhammad, "Right On" by Boogaloo Joe Jones, "Who's Gonna Take The Weight" by Melvin Sparks, "Sing A Simple Song" by Charles Earland, "Son Of Man" by Houston Person, "Listen Here (part 1)" by Freddie McCoy, "Black Talk (part 1)" by Charles Earland, "Message From The Meters" by Leon Spencer, "Reelin With The Feeling" by Charles Kynard, "I Want You Back" by Harold Mabern, and "Thank You (part 1)" by Melvin Sparks. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible sounds from the Chess Records catalog – not the blues that you might know the label for, but a huge range of funk, soul, and jazz tracks from the headiest years of the 60s and 70s – a time when the Chicago scene was really turning out some incredible musical hybrids! As you'd guess from the title, all the cuts here have had a new life in recent years – thanks to samples by hip hop artists or other producers – but the original grooves are even better than the tracks that used them, and come together here to make one of the most mindblowing collections of Chess material we've ever heard! The package is nicely heavy on sounds from the Cadet/Concept years of the label – with more than a few contributions from producers Charles Stepney and Richard Evans – and the package features 42 wonderful tracks – including "Fonky Thang Diamon Ring" by The Dells, "Windmills Of Your Mind" by Dorothy Ashby, "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" by Rotary Connection, "Jelly Jam" by Jack McDuff, "The Getaway" by Alvin Cash, "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler, "Cross Country" by Archie Whitewater, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "Go Go Power" by Sugar Pie DeSanto, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "Up Above The Rock" by Ray Bryant, "Bad Moon Rising" by Bo Diddley, "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Be Do Da Day" by Eddie Fisher, "Humpin Bumpin & Thumpin" by Andre Williams, "Who Got The Number" by Pigmeat Markham, "Walk On By" by Jo Ann Garrett, "Chocolate Candy" by Soulful Strings, "Got To Get Your Own (7" version)" by Reuben Wilson, "Hanky's Panky (7" version)" by Shirley Scott, "Liberation Conversation" by Marlena Shaw, "Look Of Love" by Monk Higgins, and "Think About It" by Odell Brown & The Organizers. CD

With music from Buster Brown, Jimmy Jones, Dee Clark, Ray Bryant, Irma Thomas, Etta James, Bobby Marchan, The Shirelles, Marv Johnson, Gary U.S. Bonds, Sugar Pie DeSanto, and many more – 31 tracks in all! CD

Music from Maria Muldaur & Bonnie Raitt, Erja Lyytinen, Barbara Lynn, Tracy Conover, Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, Ruthie Foster, Precious Bryant, Algia Mae Hinton, Sue Foley, Rory Block, Ellen Mcilwaine, Alice Stuart, and more. CD

A great groovy take on the sound of the legendary Hi Records – the Memphis soul powerhouse that gave us so many wonderful records in the 70s! The sound of Hi here is a bit different than you may know from the hits – as the label is seen through the great filter of the Free Soul series – which focuses on mellow groovers and midtempo tracks that have a bright, bubbly approach to soul – all work that still has all the deep soul roots of Hi at its best, but which also features rhythms and grooves that are less familiar in the label's catalog! There's some very choice singles here, next to overlooked album cuts by artists who got to issue full length sets for Hi – and as always with Free Soul, you get plenty of music for your money. Titles include "Little Things" by Phillip Mitchell, "Got To Find My Baby" by James Gadson, "Roots Of Love" by Quiet Elegance, "Too Much Mystery" by Otis Clay, "Look At The Boy" by Jean Plum, "I Don't Do Windows" by OV Wright, "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Willie Mitchell & Don Bryant, "Somebody's On Your Case" by Ann Peebles, "Save The Last Dance For Me" by Henry She, "Let Them Know You Care" by George Jackson, and "I'm So Thankful" by Al Perkins. CD

A very cool package – one that's shaped like a 7" single, includes a big booklet of notes, and serves up 70 killer tracks from the 70s! The collection was put together in the UK, and has a nicely different take on the decade than American compilations – as it already does a good of featuring titles that are more obscure than big chart hits at the time, even though they are by bigger names in rock – and also comes at things from a perspective that's a very fresh change from the way US label might put together the tracks – showing that even in the mainstream, there's still plenty of great music to discover in the 70s! The collection is way more than guilty pleasures – and there's no guilt at all about the sense of wonder and discover you'll experience – as you make your way through tracks from Pilot, Alessi Brothers, Jim Gilstrap, Starbuck, Cory Wells, Denne & Gold, Browning Bryant, Clout, Doctor Father, Pickettywitch, Dollar, Frankie Valli, Gerry Rafferty, Roger Voudouris, Rupert Holmes, Liverpool Express, Lynsey De Paul, Brian Protheroe, Andrew Fairweather Low, David Essex, and others – many of whom are presented here by tracks that are less familiar than their bigger hits. CD

A killer collection – sounds spanning western swing, early bluegrass, and classic Capitol country – with tracks by Rose Maddox, Red Simpson, The Louvin Brothers, Faron Young, The Farmer Boys, Big Bill Lister, The Milo Twins, Gene O'Quin, Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West, Hank Thompson, Merle Travis, Skeets McDonald, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

A huge tribute to the long legend of country music on Capitol Records – with an especially strong focus on Bakersfield work! The set features 60 tracks in all – with work from Johnny Gimble, Merle Haggard, Louvin Brothers, Skeets McDonald, Tommy Collins, Jimmie Davis, Leon Payne, Tex Williams, Hank Thompson, Faron Young, Wanda Jackson, Joe Maphis, Dick Curless, Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant, Ferlin Husky, and others – but oddly no Buck Owens! LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Sonny Criss, Art Tatum, Herbie Mann, Dave Brubeck, Ray Bryant, Art Pepper, Ben Webster, and John Coltrane – 12 tracks in all. CD

A fascinating look at musical modes in London during the big years of postwar immigration – a time when former residents of the crumbling British Empire were flooding to London for jobs and a better way of life – often bringing along a huge amount of cultural experience in the process! This set follows wonderfully in the spirit of previous volumes of the series – bringing together a range of different sonic styles that were originally recorded in London as 78rpm singles – where a new wave of Caribbean and West African immigrants were fusing older styles with a newly modern sensibility, and often a fair bit of jazz as well! The set list is wonderful – a great array of well-chosen material – and titles include "Wa Sise" by Willie Payne & The Starlite Tempos, "The Emperor Of Africa" by The Mighty Terror, "Royal Wedding" by The Lion, "Modern Telephone" by Dai Dai Simba, "Sons & Daughters Of Africa" by Lord Beginner, "Caroline" by Trinidad Steel Band, "Ema Foju Ana Woku" by West African Rhythm Brothers, "Kana Kana" by Billy Sholanke, "Boul Ve Se" by Calypso Rhythm Kings, and "My Handy Man" by Marie Bryant. LP, Vinyl record album

Not just cool jazz – despite what the title might say – and instead a whole host of soulful jazzy styles from the late 50s and early 60s – pulled forth from the kind of singles that once boomed from backroom jukeboxes in taverns on the south side of town! The collection is great – very much in the spirit of some of the Mod Jazz compilations on Ace, but maybe even a bit more farther-reaching too – and the tracks are a great mix of instrumental and vocal jazz numbers, put together with the same great ear as the soul collections on the Outta Sight label. Titles include "Like Young" by Ann Henry, "I Walk The Streets" by Lyn Avalon, "Scenes In The City (edit)" by Charles Mingus, "Comin Home Baby" by Dave Bailey, "Johnny With The Gentle Hands" by Cootie Williams & Wini Brown, "Baby Do You Ever Think Of Me" by Sonny Stitt, "Goodbye Old Girl" by Art Farmer, "Wayning Moments" by Wayne Shorter, and "Sack O Woe" by Ray Bryant. CD

One of the hippest sets ever in the Pulp Fusion series – an amazing collection of rare funky tracks that goes past the obvious 70s classics on other volumes! This double-length volume is the work of Monk-One – who's clearly willing to dig a bit deeper than most, and come up with fresh tunes that really re-ignite the series, and show us why it's been one of the most trusted funky collections around for years. There's loads of rare nuggets here – and cuts include "Shack Up" by Banbarra, "Keep On Dancing" by Alvin Cash, "Up Above The Rock" by Ray Bryant, "El Jardia" by Johnny Pate, "Hercules" by Aaron Neville, "Inner City Blues" by Sarah Vaughan, "Take Me With You" by Lyn Christopher, "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "Gengis" by Chico Hamilton, "Fried Chicken" by Rufus Thomas, "Submission" by Tyrone Washington, "Through It All There's You" by Robert Palmer, "Senga" by Manu Dibango, "Black Water Gold" by African Music Machine, "Reach Out" by Lee Moses, and "Happy Man" by Latin Blues Band. CD

Funky sounds from the Harlem scene – an incredibly rich collection of work from the Rojac and Tayster labels – a set so massive, it's like finding a box of rare funky 45s and deep soul singles in the back of some old record store! The package offers up way more work than we might have expected from our knowledge of a few key funk classics from the labels – a treasure trove of under-discovered gems from the grittiest years of the New York scene – most of them cut in the pre-disco years, with raw edges that almost feel more like southern soul and funk than other work from the Big Apple! This overstuffed set also comes with a sweet booklet of notes – really telling the tale of the labels and related enterprises – plus 44 tracks that include "Where Were You" by Kim Tolliver, "Meet Me Halfway" by Lillie Bryant, "Old Love Never Dies" by Big Maybelle, "Something Special About My Baby" by Clarence Reid, "I Love My Baby" by International GTOs, "No Better For Ya" by Jo Armstead, Love Love Love" by Chuck Flamingo, "Christmas In Vietnam" by Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Everybody's Going Wild" by Curtis Lee & The KCPs, "Lovin Lies" by Third Guitar, "This & That" by Jo Armstead, "Don't Lose Your Groove" by Lavell Hardy, "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne" by Aleke Kanonu & Tolbert The Miracle Man, "Lucky Man" by Damn Sam The Miracle Man, "Baby Don't Cry" by Third Guitar, and "Whip Ya" by Chuck A Luck & The Lovemen Ltd. CD

The most upbeat groovers from one of the rarest soul labels of the 60s – Washington DC's Shrine Records label – a small imprint who recorded some mighty fine singles that have been the gold standard for collectors for years! The company's output was quite small, and the label, as the title implies, never got much exposure at the time – but overall, Shrine's work is extremely great, and the tracks on this set soar with the best Philly and New York soul of the time, especially the male vocal group numbers, which are especially strong. The LP mixes two rare cuts that were not issued in the 60s with other singles on the label – and titles include "My Only Love" by The Counts, "Hey Boy" by The DC Blossoms, "No Other Way" by The Cautions, "Guess Who Loves You" by Eddie Daye & The 4 Bars, "Shame" by The Enjoyables, "I Won't Be Coming Back" by JD Bryant, "I Won't Believe It Till I See It" by Little Bobby Parker, "Takin My Time" by Leroy Taylor & The Four Kays, "Stop Overlooking Me" by The Cairos, and "Don't Let Him Hurt You" by Les Chansonettes. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set that moves chronologically from bebop and cool jazz to hard bop and new wave, with music by Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Art Pepper, Dexter Gordon, Ray Bryant, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams – 25 tracks total. CD

Music from Alan O'Bryant, Laurie Lewis, Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, David Grier, Pat Enright, Ronnie McCoury, Peter Rowan, Tim & Mollie O'Brien, Sam Bush, and more. CD