A pair of Purple Sage classics – back to back on in a single set! First up is the classic debut of New Riders Of The Purple Sage – one of the leading lights of the new acoustic scene in the Bay Area after the shaggier, more electric years of the Haight Street scene! Jerry Garcia plays pedal steel and banjo on the record, and at some level these guys definitely owe a bit to some of Jerry's more acoustic explorations – especially on records to come – but they've also got their own brand of hippie country that's mighty nice, and which has a much more easygoing, less-jamming vibe than some of the headier San Francisco groups of the period. The set also features more guest work from Mickey Hart and Commander Cody – and titles include "Portland Woman", "Garden Of Eden", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Glendale Train", "Dirty Business", "Louisiana Lady", and "All I Ever Wanted". Powerglide is a set that has the New Riders Of The Purple Sage expanding their sound a bit – moving past the acoustic trio at the core to add in more pedal steel and even a bit of dobro – all at a level that seems to further their commitment to country-influenced Bay Area acoustic grooves! As before, Jerry Garcia makes a few appearances on the set, but it's clear that the group don't even need his help to sound great – working with vocals that are more harmonic and confident than before, and with songs that also really show them growing as tunesmiths too. The set features the original cuts "Sweet Lovin One", "Rainbow", "California Day", "Contract", and "Runnin Back To You" – plus a great cover of "Dim Lights Thick Smoke & Loud Loud Music". CD

One of the hippest sets ever issued during the roots reggae wave of the 70s – and one of the most spiritual, too! The album's got a very special acoustic vibe at the core – earthy drumming that goes back to a pan-African tradition, these beautiful acoustic basslines that link the music strongly with underground jazz, and even some wicked sax and reed passages that make that link even stronger – especially when tied to the more message-oriented lyrics of the vocals! The album's hardly a straight roots album – and instead goes deep into the more spiritual side of Rastafari, with a personal, acoustic style that's instantly captivating – and which also has strong appeal to fans of other global sounds, and 70s spiritual jazz as well. A stunning classic – with tracks that include "Lock Stock & Barrel", "Selam Nna Wadada", "Tales Of Mozambique", "Let Freedom Reign", "Nigerian Reggae" and "Run One Mile". Features two bonus tracks too – "Rasta Reggae" and "Samia". CD

Swirling psychedelia from the late 60s & early 70s – raga inflected soundscapes featuring the sitar – and a plethora of other mind-altering instrumentation in the psych pop canon! Many of the tunes are kind of sole examples of a psychedelic combo trying out the sitar sound, while others feature regular dabblers – but it's all groovy stuff. Features acts from the UK and US scenes, with the Mecki Mark Men, Moonkyte, Full Moon Band, the comparably iconic Ananda Shankar, and much more! Titles include "Free" by Mecki Mark Men, "Caves Of Her Mind" by Stunt's Blue Leg Expedition, "I Know What To Say" by The Ugly Ducklings, "Where Will The Grass Grow" by Moonkyte, "Prayer To St Peter" by Nick Carter, "Renunciation" by Ananda Shanker, "One Grain Of Sand" by Wizz Jones, "The Shoemaker Of Leatherwear Square" by Lemon Pipers, "Aurore Cosmic" by Popera Cosmic and more. 20 tracks in all. CD

Angular Monk meets hard-driving Art Blakey – in a session that's quite unique, and which has gone onto become one of the best-remembered Atlantic jazz sessions of the late 50s! The album features Blakey in that key non-Blue Note year of 1957 – a time when he was working with a variety of players, at a variety of labels, and taking some real chances with his music before settling into his more established hit Jazz Messengers sound. The group here is Art's own – with Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – augmented by the piano of Thelonious Monk – a match that might seem unlikely at first, but not so much so after you consider the great work that Monk and Griffin did together at Riverside during the late 50s. There's a nice match between Johnny's sharp-edged tenor and Monk's imaginative playing – and if anything, the record has Blakey, Hardman, and DeBrest moving dynamically to keep up with the flurry of modern ideas coming from Griffin and Monk! Tracks are almost all originals by Thelonious too – a fact that definitely helps keep up the "Monk-ish" sound of the record – titles that include "Evidence", "Blue Monk", "I Mean You", and "Rhythm A Ning" – alongside Griffin's "Purple Shades". 2CD version features 6 more tracks – all rare alternate takes from the sessions! CD

The first-ever full length set of work from Howard Bomar – a singer who only issued a few rare 45s back in the 60s, yet kept on making music for years! From the very first tune, you'll hear that Bomar has a fantastic voice – that sort of searching, searing style that you'd hear from some of the best of the 60s – almost with a Stax Records level of production at times, but also varied a bit more over the course of the record, especially on some of the few later tracks! Howard's definitely in the deepest side of the deep soul spectrum – even as the instrumentation gets a bit more modern – and titles include "Let It Be Me", "I'll Be There", "Best Of Luck To You", "I'm Gonna Love You", "Set Down Fo I Fall Down", "She's A 911", "What Love Has Joined Together", and a remake of "Purple Rain". CD features bonus tracks – "Down Home Georgia Girl", "Something Beautiful", "I'd Like To Be", "Crazy Bout You Baby", and "Just Let Me Love You". CD

An unreleased set of solo performances from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – one that we'd rank right up there with his most adventurous work of the 70s! Smith comes across wonderfully on the record – full of soul and imagination, and easily as impressive on his solo instruments as scenemate Roscoe Mitchell could be in a similar setting – always moving around with thoughtful shifts in timing and purpose, in ways that always make the whole performance feel very organic, especially as Smith moves between other instruments that include flute, percussion, gongs, and steelophone. Titles include "Jupiter's Astro Waves", "Blue Green Gardens Of The Indigenous People", and "Pan Sonic Fire Rhythms/Red Chrysanthemums/Dark Purple Night On Crater Lake With A Clear View Of Saturn's Rings & Moons". CD

Really beautiful work from Stackridge – an early set, and one that's got the group working in more prog-oriented territory overall – yet still with a tightness to the tunes that avoids any side-long jams or solos that overwhelm the vocals and melody! Instrumentation includes bits of violin and flute next to more conventional guitar – and the tunes have that very special Stackridge blend, a bit hard to describe, but very different than so many American groups of the period. Titles include "Keep On Clucking", "Teatime", "Anyone For Tennis", "Syracuse The Elephant", "Father Frankenstein Is Behind Your Pillow", and "Lummy Days". 2CD version features the singles-only tracks "Slark", "Purple Spaceships Over Yatton", "C'Est La Vie", and "Do The Stanley" – plus 8 more tracks from a BBC concert in 1972! CD

Groovy 60s pop from the sunny brother & sister duo of Nino Tempo & April Stevens – wonderful stuff that's crafted as sweetly as can be, encapsulating influences from a wide range of pop styles of the time – and it still sounds great! This anthology features a bunch of the their best duo numbers, as well as some earlier and later separate projects we'd never heard before. 24 tracks in all: "Deep Purple", "All Strung Out", "Sweet And Lovely", "Follow Me", "Hey Baby", "Out Of Nowhere", "Wings Of Love", "Lovin' Valentine" (April Stevens), "Sister James" (Nino Tempo & 5th Ave Sax), "Hey Baby", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Whispering", "Amazon River" and many more. CD

The deepest of the deep from the American scene at the start of the 70s – groups so hip they weren't quite soul, weren't quite rock – and instead kind of a funky hybrid of both! After opening our ears to countless underground sounds from around the globe, the Now Again label turn back to some of the territory of its roots – the hinterland of groups who labored mostly in obscurity, but left behind a few funky 45s that have become the stuff of legend – and which show us that there was a much bigger psychedelic funk underground out there besides groups like Funkadelic or the early Ohio Players! As always with the label, the history is really given its due, thanks to very detailed notes – alongside titles that include "Down By The River" by Purple Snow, "There's A Wrinkle In Our Time" by 1984, "Function Underground" by We The People, "Corruption Is The Thing" by Creations Unlimited, "Jimi's Guitar Raps With The Bass" by Jimi Macon, "I'm A Man" by Cisneros & Garza Group, "Just Got To Be Free" by Black Conspirators, "BL Movement" by Blaclites, and "The Siesta Is Over" by The Revolution. CD

A really cool package that's way more than just the blues promised in the title – as the set brings together work from a variety of scenes and styles, all showing the many ways that American blues had such an impact on UK sounds from the mod generation onwards! There's definitely some tracks here that stick to a slavish representation of the original influence – but the set also includes all sorts of great divergences, tracing the path that so many artists would take from learning blues licks to really stepping out with new sounds of their own in psych, prog, hard rock, and other British styles to follow! There's also some surprising folk moments too – and over the course of 73 tracks, the box follows a fantastic journey – also supported with great notes too – through the work of artists who include Siren, Andy Roberts, Medicine Head, John Martyn, The Deviants, Pentangle, Killing Floor, Jo Ann Kelly, Jellybread, Alexis Korner, Rod Stewart, Mike Cooper, Savoy Brown, The Purple Gang, Al Jones, Bronx Cheer, Dave Ellis, Roger Hubbard, Taste, Incredible String Band, Ralph McTell, and many others. CD

The great Oliver Lake joins the Tarbaby trio of pianist Orrin Evans – along with a few other players who really help the group knock the record out of the park! There's a vibe here that's different than some of Evans' other Tarbaby sets – not just the presence of Lake's alto, which is superb, and given a showcase that could make the album one of his best in years – but also because there seems to be a higher sort of spirit to the whole record overall – really reaching for new goals in the music, as Evans piano resonates strongly with the bass of Eric Revis and drums of Nasheet Waits – with added guest work from Josh Lawrence on trumpet and Dana Murray on percussion. The set begins with Orrin singing on a composition by the great Trudy Pitts (one of our all-time heroes of jazz) – the tune "Blessed Ones The Eternal Truth" – and other tunes are by group members, and include "Purple", "Paix", "Bonu", "Bumper", "Round Robin", "House Of Leaves", and "Dance Of The Evil Toys" – plus a version of the Prince tune "Sometimes It Snows In April". CD

A set that might have you rethinking the early years of punk – as it shows that right next to the short sharp shocks of the new sound, there was also a rebirth of tight tuneful music too – a style that became known as power pop, even though many of the acts were ever bit as indie as the punk rockers! Don't mistake the "pop" for thinking that these are big commercial productions – as most of the work here is really back to basics rock and roll – a focus on sharp guitars, great rhythms, and excellent songwriting – served up in a wonderful mix of lesser-known artists, plus a few that went on to be timeless stars. The box set is every bit as great as other Cherry Red 3CD packages – detailed notes, 75 tracks in all, and work by artists who include Filmstars, Elvis Costello, The Questions, Rollers, Bram Tchaikovsky, The Deaf Aids, Undertones, Pinkees, Rudi, Gross Club, Stiff Little Fingers, The Monks, Backseat Romeos, The Flys, Pleasers, Leyton Buzzards, Purple Hearts, Elevators, Public Skool, The Cartoons, Excel, The Quads, Squeeze, Linda & The Dark, The Aces, and many others. CD

A killer 60s soundtrack from Giovanni Fusco, but one that has some great help that really sends the whole thing over the top in a great way – arrangements from Gianfranco Reverberi, and some vocals at points from I Cantori Moderni! Reverberi would later rise up in the world of prog, and here he brings in some nice beat/rock elements to the mix – fuzzy guitar, electric bass, and other elements that blend in nicely with the fuller orchestrations on the set – all at a level that offers just a hint of the psychedelic vibe that's referenced on the cover! Titles include the great "Pink Purple Yellow & Red" in both vocal and instrumental versions, performed by The Sorrows – plus lots of other instrumentals from the film! CD

A huge package of material from The Sorrows – one full album, a wealth of rare singles, and even some solo material by group member Don Fardon too! The set begins with the album Take A Heart – a searing set from the mid 60s wave of the British scene – delivered with this mix of tunefulness and raw guitars that's totally great, echoed most strongly in the vocals, which really have an edge, even when delivering familiar themes on the lyrics – moodier than most, and in a really great way! The set then moves into a massive 28 more tracks that make up the a-sides and b-sides of the group's singles for Pye Records at the time – titles that include "Baby", "Gonna Find A Cave", "We Should Get Along Fine", "Pink Purple Yellow & Red", "My Gal", "Don't Sing No Sad Songs For Me", "Hooky", "Vivi", "Armchair King", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". The set then concludes with 10 more solo tracks from Don Fardon – some of the hardest to find material in the collection, and some of the most interesting too. Titles include "Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian", "Daytripper", "Coming On Strong", "Ruby's Picture On My Wall", "We Can Make It Together", "Dreamin Room", and "I Need Somebody". 50 tracks in all! CD

The Texas tenor legend soars again – in three great albums from his later years! Funky Butt is strong later work by tenor sax legend Arnett Cobb – in a quartet session cut in New York in January of 1980 – sounding fresh and revitalized one of his final studio dates! Funky Butt actually isn't a left turn into a funk sound Cobb, but it is a pretty darn great showcase for his rich, full sounding and playful tenor approach – not too out of character from his work in the late 50s on Prestige. He's backed by a great group that includes Ray Drummond on bass, Derek Smith on piano and Ronnie Bedford on drums. It's got a few fairly stomping numbers, particularly the opener "Jumpin' At The Woodside" and their energetic take on "I Got Rhythm" – and the whole set is terrific – with the bluesy Cobb-composed title track, plus "September In The Rain", "Isfahan", "Georgia On My Mind" and "Satin Doll". Wild Man From Texas is a great overseas set from tenor giant Arnett Cobb – a set done after a bit of a late 60s comeback on Prestige Records, and one that takes him back into even grittier territory overall! The great Milt Buckner is on the set on organ and a bit of vibes – and the record also features work from Eddie Chamblee on tenor, Buster Cooper on trombone, Wallace Davenport on trumpet, and Earl Warren on alto – players of a generation who really resonate well with Arnett's lead! Titles include "Where Or When", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Smooth Sailing", "Dutch Kitchen Bounce", and "Flying Home No 2". Again is a set that has the tenor of Arnett Cobb reunited with the Hammond of Milt Buckner – but in an unusual quartet that also features Clarence Gatemouth Brown on guitar! Brown's presence definitely brings out some bluesier currents at times, and the tunes also get plenty of that raw, raspy tenor treatment that Cobb can do so well – on tunes that include "Cobb's Boogie", "Deep Purple", "Cobb's Blues", "Light Like That", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

A well-done overview of some of the best recordings by trumpeter Roger Guerin – one of the most important players on his instrument in Paris during the postwar years – and one of the few to regularly interact with important soloists from overseas! This set brings together Guerin in both dates as a leader, and as a key guest with others – pulled from a section of rare 10" and 7" releases, plus a few full album recordings as well – all bundled together here in a package that really lets Roger's trumpet talents shine! There's a huge range of material here – and the set begins with a few tracks from a session with James Moody on alto in 1961, a few more from a date with guitarist Jimmy Raney in 1954 – then moves into a quartet date with Martial Solal in 1956 and one with pianist Christian Chevailier during that same year. The set has four great tracks with a 1958 date co-led with the great Benny Golson on tenor, with Bobby Timmons on piano in the group – then ends with one track with Michel Hausser on vibes and Martial Solal on piano. The book includes detailed notes on all the sessions – and titles include "Bootsie", "Vline", "Chet", "Mythe", "Blues March", "I Remember Clifford", "Not Serious", "Ca Turne", "Night & Day", "Deep Purple", and "Sweet Feeling". CD

John Legend recreates the classic soul music Christmas album in more ways than one! First, he works with just the right blend of soul and seasonal touches – at a level that recalls the way that Motown transformed its own music for its famous Christmas albums back in the day! And also, Legend works with a number of songs that have gone on to become soul-specific Christmas classics – in addition to his own takes on other holiday favorites. Raphael Saadiq produced, which is a big part of the success of the set – and titles include "Purple Snowflakes", "Silver Bells", "Wrap Me Up In Your Love", "No Place Like Home", "Bring Me Love", "What Christmas Means To Me", "Please Come Home For Christmas", "Waiting For Christmas", and "Christmas Time Is Here". Special deluxe version – with four bonus tracks not on the regular version, including a duet with Kelly Clarkson on "Baby It's Cold Outside". CD

The magnificent voice of Gregory Porter is a wonderful fit for the Holiday season – full of feeling, and coming across with a sense of honest, human emotion that really makes the music come alive! Gregory's definitely in more of the soul side of his spectrum than the jazz of his roots – but he delivers things with a mature, sophisticated vibe that's balanced nicely between the two at most moments – with a sense of care that makes most of the album resonate with Christmas classics from artists like Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, and Luther! Titles include the great "Everything's Not Lost", plus "Purple Snowflakes", "Christmas Waltz", "Someday At Christmas", "Christmas Wish", "Do You Hear What I Hear", and "Heart For Christmas". CD

A long-overdue audio presentation of the famous performance that was captured in 1985, and used in the concert film of the same name – brought together here as an audio release that stands as a tremendous document to the strength of Prince and his famous group of the time! This is the fantastic lineup that features Wendy & Lisa, who helped Prince hit a whole new level of grooviness – a blend of funk, soul, and rock touches that takes the Purple Rain sound to a much richer dimension in the setting of the arena! The performance was recorded at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on March 30, 1985 – and the core set features 20 tracks that include "Let's Go Crazy", "1999", "God", "Computer Blue", "Darling Nikki", "International Lover", "Possessed", "Do Me Baby", "Irresistible Bitch", "Little Red Corvette", "I Would Die 4 U", and "Delirious" – plus extended jams that include an 11 minute version of "Baby I'm A Star", a 9 minute version of "When Doves Cry", and a 19 minute version of "Purple Rain"! CD

A fantastic record from Prince – a double-length set that came out at a time when the purple one was brimming over with energy and new ideas – and a step slightly in the direction of more socially conscious material! Everything that was great about Prince before the record is completely intact – his amazing ability to create funky grooves, slinky sensuality, and songs that are so catchy, they can win over audiences on both sides of the fence. But there's also some deeper elements here going on too – maybe more space for thoughtful presentation spread out over the 2LPs that comprised the original record – at a level that's only more confirmation of the never-ending genius of prince! Titles include the great title cut "Sign O The Times" – plus "Strange Relationship", "Slow Love", "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night", "Adore", "Ballad Of Dorothy Parker", "Housequake", "U Got The Look", "If I Was Your Girlfriend", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man", "The Cross", "Hot Thing", and "Starfish & Coffee". 2020 version – remastered for the first time ever! 3CD version features lots of bonus tracks – single mixes and edits – all remastered – tracks that include "U Got The Look (long look)", "Shockadelica (12" long version)", "Hot Thing (ext rmx)", "Hot Thing (dub rmx)", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (fade)", "La La He He Hee (highly explosive)", "If I Was Your Girlfriend (edit)", "Housequake (7 minutes moquake)", and "Sign O The Times (edit)". CD

A heady brew of rare electronic tracks – and a package that's every bit as wonderful as the first Cold Waves volume! Like that set, this one really digs deep in the post-punk electronic underground – and features a lot of tracks that are appearing here on vinyl – either because they only saw original issue as cassette material, or because they were never issued at all – lost in the shifting sands of the time, in a generation that was dominated by bigger names like Cabaret Voltaire or New Order! These guys travel in similar, but much darker territory – and songs are often the best stark illustration of the cold wave style – on titles that include "Find Some Body" by Mystery Plane, "Pulse" by Berserk In A Hayfield, "Radio" by Void, "Elixir Vapor" by Disintegrators, "Transvision" by Void, "Undercurrents" by Body Electric, and "Out Of Space & Out Of Time" by The Lord. CD version includes the bonus "Fatal Crash Immersed The Start (Bass Mix)" by Modern Art. CD

The continuing genius of this really wonderful series – just about the only way you'll get to hear this wealth of work from the UK electro scene of the early 80s – most of which was only released on cassette at the time! These tracks follow strongly on the electronic sounds of scenes like Sheffield or Manchester – work that's much more underground than material by groups like New Order or Cabaret Voltaire – with maybe more of the darkness of the latter in their earliest days, and a continuing legacy to the starker, minimal modes – even when the songs have a bit of vocals. Perhaps a strong comparison might be the turn that Section 25 too with their classic From The Hip album on Factory – and titles include "Danse Electrique" by Beatmixer, "Going Out" by Silicon Valley, "Start Of Something" by Berserk In A Hayfield, "World Perfect (edit)" by WeR7, "I'll Get You For This" by Mystery Plane, and "Train" by Echophase". CD

The one and only album from the enigmatic Steve Morgen – and a set that's gone on to become something of a psychedelic legend over the years! The set is fantastic right from the very first note – with searing guitars, heavy drums, and these insane vocals that make you feel like Steve was maybe let out of an institution just for the recording – with a sense of mania and isolation still fresh in his mind as he delivers lyrics that really go way beyond the usual for an underground set like this! There's a nicely fuzzy, nicely acid quality to the record – one that has the guitar and vocals sometimes tripping out – but still always pushed forward relatively strongly by the drums, in a way that keeps the record jamming, and avoids most overindulgent tendencies! And amidst this all, Morgen's actually got some compelling ideas in his songwriting – a sense of brightness that sparkles out amidst the void. Titles include "Eternity In Between", "Purple", "Love", "She's The Nitetime", and "Welcome To The Void". Amazing reissue – with lots of bonus material! CD2 is overflowing with bonus tracks – including "All I Know", "Woke Up This Morning", "Everything's Gone", and alternate versions of "Purple", "She's The Nitetime", "Love", "Beggin Your Pardon", and "Welcome To The Void". CD3 features 11 more instrumentals – some alternates too! CD