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A great set that brings together rare work by two lost female jazz vocalists from the 50s! Both Audrey Morris and Paula Castle recorded for the Bethlehem label during the time – in a cool, icy style that was similar to work by the label's more famous singer, Chris Connor – and both Audrey and Paula had a similar simple jazz-based approach that makes their work well worth tracking down if you're a fan of female singers. Audrey's represented here by 12 tracks – including "What More Women Do", "If Love Were More", "Blue Turning Gray", "If You Could See", and "I Go For That". Paula gets 8 tracks on the set – lifted from a rare 10" LP – and featuring the titles "Shooting High", "Yesterday's Gardenias", "Lost Love", and "Love Is A One Way Street". CD

Accompanied by Bill Charlap, Bobby Hutcherson, Frank Wess, and others! CD

Produced by Willie Dixon. CD

Harmony soul heaven – and the only full album from The Montclairs! The group were a sublime vocal group from the 70s – one with a sound to rival The Whatnauts or The Moments, but which also had a bit more of the super-dope touches you'd expect from their look on the cover of the record – a bit like Soul Generation at their best! The sound is sweet, but with an edge – and a young Phil Perry wrote most of the tracks on the record, with a really unique feel that goes beyond simple cliches from the better-known groups of the genre. Oliver Sain produced, and although the record came out on Jewel, it's got much more of a New Jersey feel than other work on the label. Titles include "Dreaming's Out Of Season", "Grand Finale", "Just Can't Get Away", "Prelude to a Heartbreak", "Do I Stand a Chance", and "Unwanted Love". CD features 9 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Make Up For Lost Time", "I Need You More Than Ever", "Hung Up On Your Love", "I'm Calling You", "Dawn Of My Life", "Out My Back Door", and "Ease The Pain". CD

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Includes tracks by Memphis Minnie, Little Son Joe, Floyd Jones, Little Hudon, and Baby Face Leroy – 20 tracks total. CD

Very righteous work from Fontella Bass – an album done after her time at Chess Records, and after her work in Paris with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – in a heartfelt, southern soul mode that's totally great! Fontella's back working with producer Oliver Sain, who first brought her fame back in the 60s – but the sound is a bit more sophisticated than before, drenched with roots from gospel and country soul, but also inflected with some of the more righteous modes of the early 70s too. Fontella's vocals are incredible – with a range that should have made her one of the leading ladies of soul in the 70s – and titles include "To Be Free", "I Need Love", "Wiping Tears", "Hold On this Time", "Talking About Freedom", and "My God My Freedom My Home". CD reissue also includes 4 bonus tracks! CD

A sweet set of electric funk from James Moody – and a great little record to match the grooves he was laying down at the Perception label in the early 70s – with a very unique sound! Moody's working here alongside some sweet work on electric piano by either Jodie Christian or Tennyson Stephens – and with some sly and soulful arrangements by Chicago soul maestro Richard Evans, who also plays bass on the record and gives it a style that's almost an extension of the later Cadet kind of groove. The album features an excellent funky instrumental version of " First Thing I Do In the Morning", originally a funky vocal 45 by Chicago singer Joyce Williams – and other cuts include "Trilby", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely", "World Is A Ghetto", "Good Sense Humor Man", and "Country City Country". CD

Jim DeJulio on bass, Eddie Daniels on clarinet, Bill Watrous on trombone, Glen Zotola on trumpet, David Benoit, Paul Smith, and Wally Minko on piano, Jim DeJulio Jr and Roy McCurdy on drums, and Chris Trujillo and Jim DeJulio Jr on percussion. CD

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An overlooked 70s gem from the legendary saxophonist Sonny Stitt – recorded in Chicago, and with a hip vibe that ties things very much to the best spirit of the Chess/Cadet world of the time! There's two different approaches used on the record – and on the first four, the group is a bit on the larger side – with Chess/Cadet touches from Richard Evans on bass, Morris Jennings on drums, Tennyson Stephens on piano, a bit of strings, and vocalizing by "Kitty Hayward" – who is likely Kitty Heywood, of Kitty & The Heywoods! The remaining tracks are done in a smaller setting – and they feature a rare appearance by AACM avant legend Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, who plays straight ahead here – in a quartet with Wilbur Campell on drums and Cleveland Eaton on bass. Titles include "Got To Get Over", "Soul Girl", "Jeep Blues", and "I Know That You Know" with the larger group – plus the quartet pieces "I Should Care", "Eight Track Blues",and "Gone With The Wind". CD

A beautiful little solo session from the late Mal Waldron – recorded in Paris in 1972, and featuring (as you'd guess from the title) Mal stretching out wonderfully on a well-tuned Steinway! The mood of the set is softer and more introspective than some of Waldron's other work from the time – no less inventive, but with a quality that's warmly lyrical and extremely tuneful throughout – a great demonstration of Waldron's growing confidence as a solo artist at the time – yet expressed with a thoughtfulness that makes the album one of his real standouts in this mode. Tracks are all originals – and titles include "Paris Reunited", "For Eric Satie", "One For Bud", and "Portrait Of A Bullfighter". CD

A beautiful little solo session from the late Mal Waldron – recorded in Paris in 1972, and featuring (as you'd guess from the title) Mal stretching out wonderfully on a well-tuned Steinway! The mood of the set is softer and more introspective than some of Waldron's other work from the time – no less inventive, but with a quality that's warmly lyrical and extremely tuneful throughout – a great demonstration of Waldron's growing confidence as a solo artist at the time – yet expressed with a thoughtfulness that makes the album one of his real standouts in this mode. Tracks are all originals – and titles include "Paris Reunited", "For Eric Satie", "One For Bud", and "Portrait Of A Bullfighter". CD

A sweet set of electric funk from James Moody – and a great little record to match the grooves he was laying down at the Perception label in the early 70s – with a very unique sound! Moody's working here alongside some sweet work on electric piano by either Jodie Christian or Tennyson Stephens – and with some sly and soulful arrangements by Chicago soul maestro Richard Evans, who also plays bass on the record and gives it a style that's almost an extension of the later Cadet kind of groove. The album features an excellent funky instrumental version of " First Thing I Do In the Morning", originally a funky vocal 45 by Chicago singer Joyce Williams – and other cuts include "Trilby", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely", "World Is A Ghetto", "Good Sense Humor Man", and "Country City Country". CD

An excellent album by Isaac Redd Holt – one half of the incredible Young-Holt rhythm team, bursting out nicely here on his own! This is Redd's second album – first for Paula, as the other one was a jazz effort on Argo back in the 60s – and it's a wild blend of jazz, funk, and a lot of other weird sounds. The introduction's totally cool, and features Redd running through a list of hip little clubs in American cities, then the album launches into the great "Listen to the Drums", which has a tight pounding groove, and moves on to a whole bunch of other jazzy cuts like "Flo", "Slow Funk", and "Let the Spirit In". Redd sings a bit, which isn't too bad (mostly), but it's the grooves that will keep you coming back. Very much in the spirit of Roy Porter's legendary funk albums – but probably a bit tighter! CD

The complete recordings of a great, overlooked lady of 60s LA soul – Jackie Day, who recorded a beautiful strong string of singles for Modern, Paula, Specialty and other labels – compiled here in this essential set from Kent UK! Jackie's voice is soaringly beautiful, and she's also the credited co-writer and many of these songs, with saxophonist and arranger Maxwell Davis – whose work here is also really great. Many of the numbers are upbeat, danceable mid-to-late 60s soul of the utmost quality – heavy drums, punchy brass, guitar grooves piano and sweet female backup vocals. Includes "Before It's Too Late", "Oh, What Heartaches", "Long As I Got My Baby", "Without A Love", "Step Aside", "Guilty", "What Happened', "Free At Last". "What Kind Of Man Are You?", "What's The Cost?", "Naughty Boy", "I Dig It The Most" and more. 20 tracks in all. CD

The Reel People collective is back in action, and maybe sounding even better than on their first Love album – thanks to a sublime array of guest vocalists – including Eric Roberson, Raheem DeVaughn, Chante Cann, Paula, Michael Champion, and others! The vibe is great – uplifting and positive, with a style that's a nice change from both mainstream soul and club – that special sort of vibe we've always loved from the sort of underground work like this – which seems to be harder and harder to find as the years go on! In a world of stray digital cuts, we're even more grateful than ever for a full length set like this – as Reel People definitely deliver the goods, on titles that include "I Never Knew", "Save A Lil Love", "Everything's So Crazy", "If I Was Your Man", "Fly", "Deja Vu", "Dance In Her Eyes", and "Vibe". CD

A sweetly slow-building soundtrack from maestro Armando Trovajoli – filled with water strings, light woodwinds, and some really dreamy sounds! The set's not as all-out groove oriented as some of Trovajoli's other late 60s work, but it more than makes up for that with a spacious sensibility that has the instrumentation kind of floating in the air – hung from clouds with tiny little threads, just blowing along in the breeze with an almost effortless sort of quality! The tunes flow nicely one into the other – with no grand themes, save for a few slightly more grooving moments – and Edda Dell'Orso manages to sneak in a few light vocal performances – but again, in a relatively spare and subtle way. Titles include "Come Quando Perche", "Presa Nella Rete", "Paula", "Onde Sulla Riva", "Una Notte Particolare", and "Disperazione Di Un Ricordo". CD

A huge package of work from a time when the Jewel/Paula label was a strong force in underground soul – an imprint whose home base was down in Louisiana, but who also had a reach that went up to the Windy City as well! The material here is on the deeper side of the spectrum – some New Orleans modes mixed with other southern soul styles – often recorded with nicely earthy production that really makes the singers come across at their best! Titles include "I Can't Stand To See You Go" by Joe Valentine, "Messed Around & Fell In Love" by Ricky Allen, "Nothing Takes The Place Of You" by Toussaint McCall, "What Is Love" by Jimmy Dobbins, "Cover Me" by Ted Taylor, I Want Everyone To Know" by Fontella Bass, "My Baby's Gone" by Wallace Brothers, "You've Got Me Tamed" by Clay Hammond, "Loosen These Pains & Let Me Go" by Albert Washington, "We Got A Good Thing Going" by Roscoe Robinson, and "Sweet Little Woman" by McKindley Sandifer. CD

A beautiful set of modern club tracks – put together with a real emphasis on soulful grooves! Most of the tracks on the set have a strong deep house vibe going on – with warm instrumentation, soulful vocals, and solid songwriting with a real focus on the feel of the overall track, not just a few effects. This is no surprise, though, as the set's put together by Lofty & Dr Bob Jones, who did such great work with the East West Connection – and the pair of them dipped into a wide range of labels from around the globe, just to come up with the perfect sound. Titles include "I Know A Place (Shades Of Black mix)" by Jaymz Nylon feat Mooney, "Latin Soul (not so Latin Sonic Soul mix)" by Turnstyle Orchestra, "Ain't No Running Away (Ricanstruction voc mix)" by Willie Washington presents Paula Ralph, "Across The Universe (full story version)" by Chari Chari, "Never Lost Faith (original mix)" by UC Heights feat Anthony Flanagan, "Universal (part 2)" by Solar House, "Still Loving You (Jii Hoo mix)" by Midnight City Soul Affair, and "Lost Tribes Of Ibadan (orixas rmx)" by Sfere. 10 tracks in all! CD

A light and lovely album from the trio of Jacques Morelenbaum cello, Paula Morelenbaum voice, and Ryuichi Sakamoto piano! The "casa" in the title refers to the "casa" of Antonio Carlos Jobim, where part of the album was recorded – as you may well hear in the Jobim-esque presentation of the material. The light touch of Sakamoto's piano is wonderful – and it's great to hear him working in such a setting, after years of expressing Brazilian influences in many of his compositions. Paula's vocals are light and airy, and the cello of Jacques fills in the spaces with a sad and moody feel that fits the material well. Titles include "Sabia", "Chanson Pour Michelle", "Bonita", "Estrada Branca", "Amor Em Paz", "Sem Voce", "Experanca Perdida", and "Tema Para Ana". CD

With Paula Morelenbaum and Danilo Caymmi. CD

A light and lovely album from the trio of Jacques Morelenbaum cello, Paula Morelenbaum voice, and Ryuichi Sakamoto piano! The "casa" in the title refers to the "casa" of Antonio Carlos Jobim, where part of the album was recorded – as you may well hear in the Jobim-esque presentation of the material. The light touch of Sakamoto's piano is wonderful – and it's great to hear him working in such a setting, after years of expressing Brazilian influences in many of his compositions. Paula's vocals are light and airy, and the cello of Jacques fills in the spaces with a sad and moody feel that fits the material well. Titles include "Sabia", "Chanson Pour Michelle", "Bonita", "Estrada Branca", "Amor Em Paz", "Sem Voce", "Experanca Perdida", and "Tema Para Ana". CD

18 tracks from Xavier Osmir, Simao Morto, Grupo Cabana, Paula Santoro, Gustavo Marques, Paula Santoro & Hugh Burns, and Simao Morto. CD

A great mix of jangle pop and female vocal numbers from 60s England – the 4th in RPM's great series of Dream Babes, and one of the best yet! The groove here runs along the lines of work by some of the more famous British singers of the era – Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, Sandi Shaw, and others – but often has some nice left-field touches that make the tunes a bit more exciting and less familiar, thanks to some especially great production. Titles include "Gonna Give Him Some Love" and "I Want That Boy" by The Chantelles, "Gonna Make Him Mine" and "Love Hit Me" by The Orchids, "Love Is Wonderful" by Paula Parfitt, "Here I Am" by Linda Thorson, "When I Think Of You" by Twiggy, "That Lonely Feeling" by The McKinleys, "Reviewing The Situation" by Jacki Bond, and "I Can Hear Music" by The Breakaways. 22 tracks – and great notes! CD

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A batch of samba tracks assembled by Herminio Bello De Carvalho – and performed by artists that include Roberto Silva, Paulao, Cristina Buarque, Mariana Bernardes, and Pedro Paulo. The set's got the same great overall look and feel of some of the best of the titles on the Biscoito Fino label – and the 2CD package features a large number of tracks, many of which are performed in kind of a pot-pourri mode. CD