Beautiful sounds from Roger Fahkr – a Lebanese singer/songwriter who recorded most of this music in the late 70s – but with a sound and style that's every bit as compelling as western talents from the earlier part of the decade! The tunes often begin with voice and acoustic guitar, but usually bring in a bit of keyboards or other elements to expand things slightly, but all while keeping the moody quality of Roger's English-language vocals intact – all with a quality that could easily have this work standing next to some of our favorite recordings by artists like Rodriguez, Terry Callier, or Alzo & Udine! There's an inexplicable quality to all of these cuts – a uniqueness that really lives up to our comparison with those other greats – and the whole pacakge is a huge discovery of an artist who might have been a huge global force, had he had the chance back in the 70s. Titles include "Sad Sad Songs", "My Baby She Is As Down As I Am", "Express Line", "Insomnia Blue", "Lady Rain", "Everybody Is Going Home", "Sitting In The Sun", "The Wizard", "Trip Thru Time", "Gone Away Again", and "Had To Come Back Wet". LP, Vinyl record album

A really rare batch of garage psych from late 60s DC scene – served up on a record that barely got any circulation at the time! The oft-overlooked Fallen Angels were signed to Roulette in the late 60s, and the group only made a couple of albums – Roulette bailed when it became obvious that the group proved to be a bit challenging of a sell – but over the years their work has gone on to be the stuff of underground legend! Most of the tunes start with loose, ragged feel that eventually builds into a feedback frenzy – more controlled than groups those of groups like the Stooges and Velvet Underground – before finding the groove again and landing gently on their feet – a great approach that really shows just how tight and well-conceived these guys were overall. Titles include "Poor Old Man", "A Horn Playing On My Thin Wall", "Tell You A Story", "One Of The Few Ones Left", Didn't I", and "It's A Long Way Down". CD

A long-overdue package – one that finally brings together all the many strands of music from underground Cali rock legend Merrell Fankhauser! CD1 features some of Merrell's earliest music – a host of early singles by Merrell & The Exiles, some of which were issued on the Glenn and Golden Crown labels – mixed here with rare unissued titles too – for a whopping 19 tracks that offer up a rare look at Fankhauser's earliest years! CD2 features the classic Fapardokly record – a lost bit of legend from the west coast scene of the 60s – and a record that's maybe best-known as a showcase for the early genius of Merrell Fankhauser – who wrote most of the songs on the set, a good number of which were actually recorded for the record by his previous group, The Exiles! Yet despite that little bit of trivia, there's a great vibe going on here – a seminal shift in the Cali scene from garagey work to trippier modes – served up beautifully on titles that include "Glass Chandelier", "Suzie Cryin", "Tomorrow's Girl", "Lila", "Mr Clock", "No Retreat", "Gone To Pot", "When I Get Home", "Supermarket", and "The Music Scene". CD3 features the album Things, recorded by Merrell Fankhauser & HMS Bounty – a perfect blend of Fankhauser's earlier garage rock modes and latter trippier styles! The tunes are short and wonderfully tuneful – produced at Gold Star studios, with a simple, straightforward style that makes all the deftness of the songwriting come through even more – an approach that, although supposedly steeped in Pacific Ocean inspiration, almost feels more like that great moment when some UK groups of the mid 60s were tripping out, but not too much. Titles include "Lost In The City", "Your Painted Lives", "In A Minute Not Too Soon", "A Visit With Ashiya", "The Big Gray Sky", and "Rich Man's Fable". CD4 features MU – an incredible record, and one that really lives up to all its well-deserved legend over the years – one of those sets that's not just rare, but which has all the chops to really deliver the goods! A few short years before, Merrell Fankhauser was recording garage and psych on the LA scene – but here, he steps off the latter with a bit of post-60s hangover – working with a current of darkness that really changes things up, while still providing a great outlet for his legendary work on guitar – and his mindblowing sense of a lyric! Titles include "Ballad Of Brother Lew", "Eternal Thirst", "Too Naked For Demetrius", "Mumbella Baye Tu La", "The Clouds Went That Way", and "Nobody Wants To Shine". CD5 features MU's The Last Album – 20 more tracks recorded in 1974, but unissued for many years – and CD6 features the legendary Maui album from the enigmatic Merrell Fankhauser – a self-released set that drew inspiration from his time in Hawaii – even though the set was mostly recorded in LA and San Francisco! The tunes are beautiful – nicely evolved from Merrell's psych of earlier years, with a much more personal vibe – yet all without some of those west coast cliches that were creeping into more mainstream music of the period. You might get the vibe partly right if you could maybe imagine a more personal singer/songwriter take on the AOR vibe of the period – with leaner, better instrumentation and unslick production – but that's also only part of the picture too! Titles include "On Our Way To Hana", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Garden In The Rain", "Waterfall", "The Source", "Sail It Over The Ocean", and "We Were All Free". Box set features a very detailed book of notes – bonus tracks added to most of the albums, and a massive 95 tracks in all! CD

One of Tal's most compelling albums of the 50s – a drummer-less trio session, recorded with Eddie Costa on piano and Vinnie Burke on bass. Tal's tone is as great as always – edgily carving out some rhythms with the trio, swinging more gently than the title might imply, in a mode that might later be taken up by Jim Hall, but which here is all Tal's own! Titles include "Meteor", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Yardbird Suite", "Like Someone In Love", and "I Love You". Plus, the One of the most compelling Verve albums from guitar genius Tal Farlow – a drummer-less trio session, recorded with Eddie Costa on piano and Vinnie Burke on bass – really opening up at a level that lets you hear just how revolutionary Farlow's approach was at the time. Tal's tone is as great as always – edgily carving out some rhythms with the trio, swinging more gently than the title might imply, in a mode that might later be taken up by Jim Hall, but which here is all Tal's own – a fantastic modernist change from the way the guitar had been just in jazz just a few short years before. Titles include "Meteor", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Yardbird Suite", "Like Someone In Love", and "I Love You". CD features 4 bonus tracks – 2 versions of "Gone With The Wind, and alternate takes of "Yardbird Suite" and "Taking A Chance On Love". Great stuff – with over 60 minutes of music. CD

A lost classic from Father's Children – the group's only album ever, but an impeccably produced set – thanks to the efforts of Wayne Henderson's At Home Productions team! The groove here is similar to that forged by Henderson over at Fantasy – soul, but inflected with plenty of jazzy fusion touches – instrumentation that steps out riffing with a really great edge, and fleshes out the sound with a lot more creativity and imagination than mainstream soul at the time. The best grooves here have a midtempo boogie flavor – with plenty of righteous jazzy touches alongside the richer harmonies that flow out warmly on the lyrics! Titles include their landmark track "Hollywood Dreaming", plus other nice ones like "Got To Get Away", "Gone Bad", "You Can Get It", "Music For Your Mind", "Wild Woman" and "Shine On". 2 bonus tracks on this CD version: 7-inch edits of "Hollywood Dreaming" and "Shine On". CD

Live duets between Ella Fitzgerald and guitarist Joe Pass – done in the same stripped-down style as their studio albums for Pablo! The pairing of talents is quite unique – and makes for some of the most compelling Fitzgerald material you'll hear from the time – really open, free tracks that have Ella pushing things even more than usual – an incredible demonstration of her rich talents, which were sometimes lost amidst more conventional record dates. Pass has a clear, clean tone that's mighty nice – and the record brings together material recorded in Tokyo and Hamburg, with titles that include "One Note Samba", "Bluesette", "Old Folks", "Wave", "Mood Indigo", "Take Love Easy", "Satin Doll", and "Gone With The Wind". CD

A really great take on the duo format that Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong forged together during the 50s – a short little side chapter to the careers of both artists, but one that's gone on to become one of the most classic representations of their music! The record follows up their previous collection of duets, but with a slight difference – in that there's some solo tracks by each singer on the record, which changes things up nicely, while still allowing for some of the duo moments that share the charms of both together! Backing is great, too – nicely unified, in that there's a small combo throughout – Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums – providing great accompaniment on titles that include "They All Laughed", "Comes Love", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Learnin The Blues", "A Fine Romance", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Let's Do It", "I Won't Dance", "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off". CD

A really great take on the duo format that Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong forged together during the 50s – a short little side chapter to the careers of both artists, but one that's gone on to become one of the most classic representations of their music! The record follows up their previous collection of duets, but with a slight difference – in that there's some solo tracks by each singer on the record, which changes things up nicely, while still allowing for some of the duo moments that share the charms of both together! Backing is great, too – nicely unified, in that there's a small combo throughout – Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums – providing great accompaniment on titles that include "They All Laughed", "Comes Love", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Learnin The Blues", "A Fine Romance", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Let's Do It", "I Won't Dance", "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest takes ever on the Porgy & Bess score – done in duet format by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, in a fuller spirit than their other albums for Verve! Like many late 50s albums of Gershwin's score, this one was issued in advance of the film with Sidney Poitier – but unlike most, this is less of a cash-in affair, and really takes Gershwin's music on its own – serving it up with that newly serious style that Verve was hitting with some artists, especially Ella, in the latter half of the 50s. Most tracks have relatively full backings – strings and jazz orchestrations – and the double-length set features 15 tracks that include "Buzzard Song", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "My Man's Gone Now", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Summertime", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "What You Want Wid Bess", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", and "A Woman Is A Sometime Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest takes ever on the Porgy & Bess score – done in duet format by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, in a fuller spirit than their other albums for Verve! Like many late 50s albums of Gershwin's score, this one was issued in advance of the film with Sidney Poitier – but unlike most, this is less of a cash-in affair, and really takes Gershwin's music on its own – serving it up with that newly serious style that Verve was hitting with some artists, especially Ella, in the latter half of the 50s. Most tracks have relatively full backings – strings and jazz orchestrations – and the double-length set features 15 tracks that include "Buzzard Song", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "My Man's Gone Now", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Summertime", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "What You Want Wid Bess", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", and "A Woman Is A Sometime Thing". CD

One of the hippest takes ever on the Porgy & Bess score – done in duet format by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, in a fuller spirit than their other albums for Verve! Like many late 50s albums of Gershwin's score, this one was issued in advance of the film with Sidney Poitier – but unlike most, this is less of a cash-in affair, and really takes Gershwin's music on its own – serving it up with that newly serious style that Verve was hitting with some artists, especially Ella, in the latter half of the 50s. Most tracks have relatively full backings – strings and jazz orchestrations – and the double-length set features 15 tracks that include "Buzzard Song", "I Got Plenty O Nuttin", "My Man's Gone Now", "I Wants To Stay Here", "Summertime", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "What You Want Wid Bess", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Oh Lawd I'm On My Way", and "A Woman Is A Sometime Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Solid soul from Eddie Floyd – 2 tremendous albums on a single CD, plus bonus tracks too! I've Never Found A Girl is tremendous late 60s work from Eddie Floyd – a great date from the post-Atlantic years of Stax Records – material that really shows the hipper, more righteous sound of the label at the time! Eddie's moving way beyond the standard southern soul of his roots – recording with backings from Booker T & The MGs, plus horns from the Mar-Keys – a blend that makes for instrumental magic that's already plenty darn great before Eddie comes into the mix – a classic late 60s Memphis sound that's positive and progressive throughout. There's a bit of female backing vocals on the set – but these are used very sparely – and titles include "Never Give You Up", "Bring It On Home To Me", "I'm Just The Kind Of Fool", "I'll Take Her", "Sweet Things You Do", and "I Need You Woman". Rare Stamps is not really as "rare" as the title implies – but a great little record that easily stands as some of Eddie Floyd's best work of the 60s! The album features a few key cuts from earlier years, mixed with material from the second generation of Stax – the point when the label was moving into hipper territory, and really helping artists like Eddie expand their groove. Titles include "Knock On Wood", "Love Is A Doggone Good Thing", "On A Saturday Night", "Raise Your Head", and "Got To Make A Comeback". CD also adds in bonus tracks that include "I've Got To Have Your Love", "Laurie", and "Consider Me" – plus "Never Let You Go" and "Ain't That Good", which are duets with Mavis Staples! CD

A true late 60s rock masterpiece – and like albums by Love and The Velvet Underground, a set that barely made a mainstream impact at the time – but which has gone on to be the stuff of influence and legend over the decades! The album's the first from Gram Parsons and the group – one of only two they would cut together – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of rough-edged rock and country influences rising up from the LA scene – all those glimmers of brilliance that Parsons had brought to the Byrds and other projects, maybe given their full flowering here in a mode that's unabashed about its country music influences – maybe even more so than some of Gram's later solo work. Sneeky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar really adds a lot – but so does the presence of Chris Hillman on guitar and mandolin, and Chris Ethridge on bass and piano. Titles include the brilliant "Sin City" – a track we'll love until we die – plus "Christine's Tune", "Do Right Woman", "Dark End Of The Street", "My Uncle", "Wheels", "Juanita", "Hot Burrito No 1", "Hot Burrito No 2", "Do You Know How It Feels", and "Hippy Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's way more than just a "best of" sort of anthology – as the package features three full albums by the group, plus other material too! The set begins with the classic debut, Gilded Palace Of Sin – a true late 60s rock masterpiece – and like albums by Love and The Velvet Underground, a set that barely made a mainstream impact at the time – but which has gone on to be the stuff of influence and legend over the decades! The album's the first from Gram Parsons and the group – one of only two they would cut together – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of rough-edged rock and country influences rising up from the LA scene – all those glimmers of brilliance that Parsons had brought to the Byrds and other projects, maybe given their full flowering here in a mode that's unabashed about its country music influences – maybe even more so than some of Gram's later solo work. Sneeky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar really adds a lot – but so does the presence of Chris Hillman on guitar and mandolin, and Chris Ethridge on bass and piano. Titles include the brilliant "Sin City" – a track we'll love until we die – plus "Christine's Tune", "Do Right Woman", "Dark End Of The Street", "My Uncle", "Wheels", "Juanita", "Hot Burrito No 1", "Hot Burrito No 2", "Do You Know How It Feels", and "Hippy Boy". Burrito Deluxe is the second of only two albums recorded by Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers – and a masterpiece that pushes the group's sound even farther than their debut! The set is filled with special moments – songs that show just why these guys were such a special bridge between late 60s country and rock music – and why all of the other groups they inspired just never came close to serving things up this well! Gram Parsons is fantastic on vocals, of course – but the whole group is great, especially Sneaky Pete on steel guitar. Titles include the fantastic romper "Man In The Fog", the very groovy "Lazy Days", the haunting "God's Own Singer", and the group's Jagger/Richards' approved take on "Wild Horses – plus other cuts that include "High Fashion Queen", "Image Of Me", "Older Guys", and "If You Gotta Go". Flying Burrito Brothers is The Burritos first LP, post-Parsons – and a pretty strong statement for the merits of the now unquestioned leader, Rick Roberts, and multi-instrumentalist new guy Bernie Leadon, who would later turn to the dark side and join the Eagles! Roberts penned or co-penned seven of the album's ten tunes, including "Colorado", "Hand To Mouth", "Just Can't Be", and "Four Days Of Rain". His contributions are for the most part nicely fragile, with just the right doses of sweetness and sadness. The group also covers Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever", Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard", and Dylan's "To Ramona". This is one of the band's rarer LPs, probably because of the absence of hipster hero Gram Parsons – truly a worthy piece of work! CD also features some other tracks recorded by Parsons with the group – including "Six Days On The Road", "Break My Mind", "Sing Me Back Home", and "Close Up The Honky Tonks" – and live tracks "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" and "Losing Game" – plus Gene Clark singing on "Here Tonight". CD

A set that's way more than just a "best of" sort of anthology – as the package features three full albums by the group, plus other material too! The set begins with the classic debut, Gilded Palace Of Sin – a true late 60s rock masterpiece – and like albums by Love and The Velvet Underground, a set that barely made a mainstream impact at the time – but which has gone on to be the stuff of influence and legend over the decades! The album's the first from Gram Parsons and the group – one of only two they would cut together – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of rough-edged rock and country influences rising up from the LA scene – all those glimmers of brilliance that Parsons had brought to the Byrds and other projects, maybe given their full flowering here in a mode that's unabashed about its country music influences – maybe even more so than some of Gram's later solo work. Sneeky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar really adds a lot – but so does the presence of Chris Hillman on guitar and mandolin, and Chris Ethridge on bass and piano. Titles include the brilliant "Sin City" – a track we'll love until we die – plus "Christine's Tune", "Do Right Woman", "Dark End Of The Street", "My Uncle", "Wheels", "Juanita", "Hot Burrito No 1", "Hot Burrito No 2", "Do You Know How It Feels", and "Hippy Boy". Burrito Deluxe is the second of only two albums recorded by Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers – and a masterpiece that pushes the group's sound even farther than their debut! The set is filled with special moments – songs that show just why these guys were such a special bridge between late 60s country and rock music – and why all of the other groups they inspired just never came close to serving things up this well! Gram Parsons is fantastic on vocals, of course – but the whole group is great, especially Sneaky Pete on steel guitar. Titles include the fantastic romper "Man In The Fog", the very groovy "Lazy Days", the haunting "God's Own Singer", and the group's Jagger/Richards' approved take on "Wild Horses – plus other cuts that include "High Fashion Queen", "Image Of Me", "Older Guys", and "If You Gotta Go". Flying Burrito Brothers is The Burritos first LP, post-Parsons – and a pretty strong statement for the merits of the now unquestioned leader, Rick Roberts, and multi-instrumentalist new guy Bernie Leadon, who would later turn to the dark side and join the Eagles! Roberts penned or co-penned seven of the album's ten tunes, including "Colorado", "Hand To Mouth", "Just Can't Be", and "Four Days Of Rain". His contributions are for the most part nicely fragile, with just the right doses of sweetness and sadness. The group also covers Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever", Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard", and Dylan's "To Ramona". This is one of the band's rarer LPs, probably because of the absence of hipster hero Gram Parsons – truly a worthy piece of work! CD also features some other tracks recorded by Parsons with the group – including "Six Days On The Road", "Break My Mind", "Sing Me Back Home", and "Close Up The Honky Tonks" – and live tracks "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" and "Losing Game" – plus Gene Clark singing on "Here Tonight". CD

An incredible album of harmony soul – easily one of the best you could ever hope to find! The Four Mints were an obscure group, but they sound really wonderful here – just as great as some of the bigger proponents of the genre in the early 70s – with an especially great talent for heartbreaking ballads! The album was the only one ever issued by the tiny Capsoul label – probably best known for their volume in Numero's Eccentric Soul series – and it features all of the group's singles for the label, plus one rare track – all wrapped up in a beautiful little cover. The sound is wonderful – a must-have set for any fan of group soul from the 70s – and titles include "You're My Desire", "In A Rut", "Row My Boat", "Why Did I Go", "Do You Really Love Me", and "Keep On Loving You". Plus, the CD also features 3 bonus tracks – rehearsal takes of "Too Far Gone" and "In A Rut", plus an instrumental of "In A Rut". CD

One of those records you hear and say "man, why wasn't this a classic?" – a tremendously well-conceived bit of British psychedelia from the end of the 60s, served up in a clear and focused style that holds up beautifully well over the years! There's a lean, no-nonsense quality here that really makes the record sparkle – a sense of a tune that makes each different number on the record come up with new delight – showing that The Fox were hardly just some happy accident in the studio, but a really great band that could've, should've gone onto much greater fame. But rather than ponder the might-haves in the group's career, let us just say that we're plenty darn happy to have this great LP! Titles include "Second Hand Love", "Lovely Day", "As She Walks Away", "Butterfly", "Look In The Sky", "Mr Blank", "Man In A Fast Car", and "Madame Magical" LP, Vinyl record album

Aretha Franklin's definitely growing into her role as a soul sister here – a later date for Columbia Records that hints a bit at the sounds to come on Atlantic! Backings are by Robert Mersey and Belford Hendricks – both of whom use some relatively full orchestrations and occasional backing vocals – in ways that almost translate a 60s country soul aesthetic to a leaner, cleaner sound for Aretha's strong vocals. Franklin, as always, is great – the kind of singer that really illuminates any tune she gets – even familiar numbers that seem to take on new life in her hands. The material is a bit deeper-digging than before on Columbia – less covers, and more tunes that are well-suited to Aretha's sensibilities – including a few penned by Van McCoy or Hendricks. Titles include "Until You Were Gone", "Follow Your Heart", "A Mother's Love", "I'm Losing You", "Take A Look", and "Can't You See Me". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A record that's every bit as haunting as its title – a beautiful mix of progressive rock and strings, with some equally poetic vocals to match! The style here is pretty wonderful – as familiar modes mix with cello, violin, and harmonium – all used sparely, but with a quality that almost evokes a more ancient place in the music – yet not in the style that some British folk acts were using at the time. Instead, there's almost a slight sort of darkness to the way these elements are applied – gentle magical forces that work subtly on the songs, and really give them a haunting, moody vibe. Lead vocals are by Tony Durant – who also wrote most of the album – and titles include "Shoes & Ships", "The Nothing Song", "Gone With The Mouse", "A Tiny Book", and "Me & My Kite". LP, Vinyl record album