One of Lou's more unique sides of the 60s – as the album features him as the main soloist over arrangements by a group headed up by Oliver Nelson. As has been ably demonstrated on many sides on labels like Verve, Impulse, and Capitol – there's no better talent than Nelson for taking a strong soulful player, and putting him into a context that will let him solo at his best, and not be overwhelmed by the band. There's some nice organ in the group, and titles include "Tippin In", "Back Talk", "Huffin N Puffin", and "Ignant Oit". CD

One of Lou's more unique sides of the 60s – as the album features him as the main soloist over arrangements by a group headed up by Oliver Nelson. As has been ably demonstrated on many sides on labels like Verve, Impulse, and Capitol – there's no better talent than Nelson for taking a strong soulful player, and putting him into a context that will let him solo at his best, and not be overwhelmed by the band. There's some nice organ in the group, and titles include "Tippin In", "Back Talk", "Huffin N Puffin", and "Ignant Oit". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of our favorite Doors records of all time – if only for the long Fender Rhodes solo by Ray Manzarek on the album's final track, "Riders On The Storm"! Yet the whole album is pretty darn great, too – the last to feature Jim Morrison, who would leave the planet shortly after the album was released! There's a looser, more mature feel to the whole record – still lots of the territory the group had explored on previous albums, but also maybe more relaxed in the studio – knowing when to go for a hook when needed, but also letting some of the tunes really find themselves too. Titles include the hits "Riders On The Storm", "LA Woman", and "Love Her Madly" – plus "The Changeling", "Been Down So Long", "Cars Hiss By My Window", "The WASP", "L'America", and "Hyacinth House". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of our favorite Doors records of all time – if only for the long Fender Rhodes solo by Ray Manzarek on the album's final track, "Riders On The Storm"! Yet the whole album is pretty darn great, too – the last to feature Jim Morrison, who would leave the planet shortly after the album was released! There's a looser, more mature feel to the whole record – still lots of the territory the group had explored on previous albums, but also maybe more relaxed in the studio – knowing when to go for a hook when needed, but also letting some of the tunes really find themselves too. Titles include the hits "Riders On The Storm", "LA Woman", and "Love Her Madly" – plus "The Changeling", "Been Down So Long", "Cars Hiss By My Window", "The WASP", "L'America", and "Hyacinth House". LP, Vinyl record album

Really important early live work from The Doors – a performance at the legendary Matrix club in San Francisco – and one of the first concert recordings ever done of the group! The set wasn't originally part of their legacy with Elektra Records, but has become rehoused as a key part of their catalog at the label – a really burning performance that effortlessly mixes blues inspirations, psych inclinations, and that very special quality that the band was forging right from the start! As with other unearthed Matrix recordings – which seem to show up more and more as the years go on – the whole thing is a key window into not just a moment in the group, but a moment in the scene as well – even though, reportedly, the concerts were very under-attended at the time. This triple-length package brings together the entire five nights of recording, with lots of unissued material – including surprising versions of jazz tunes "Bag's Groove" and "All Blues" – plus never-heard versions of "Summer's Almost Gone", "When The Music's Over", "My Eyes Have Seen You", "Alabama Song", "Break On Through", and "Moonlight Drive". CD

Titles include "Land Ho", "Maggie M'Gill", "Roadhouse Blues", "Waiting For The Sun", "Peace Frog", "Ship Of Fools", and "Blue Sunday". CD

Titles include "Land Ho", "Maggie M'Gill", "Roadhouse Blues", "Waiting For The Sun", "Peace Frog", "Ship Of Fools", and "Blue Sunday". LP, Vinyl record album

Bob Dorough is always great, no matter what format he chooses for self-expression – but we especially love him in a setting like this, a back-to-basics jazz album recorded in the mid 60s, before the heyday of his years at Schoolhouse Rock. The album features a number of great original tunes, all penned with Dorough's requisite wit, plus a few underground jazz favorites that are of the type he always does well. Titles include "Baltimore Oriole", "The Message", "The Crawdad Song", "Better Than Anything", "Baby You Should Know It", "But For Now", and "Better Than Anything". LP, Vinyl record album

Gibraltar Drakus was one of the key members of world music powerhouse Les Tetes Brulees back in the 80s – and here, he pays tribute to the legendary guitarist Theodore Zanzibar Epeme, whose sound was such a big part of the group! Guitar lines criss-cross wonderfully, really livening up some of the more electric rhythms on the album – reminding us that although production styles were changing at the time, music like this still really relied on the lively interplay of guitar and voice to spark the best sort of energy on the songs! Titles include "N'Nom Wom", "Exode Rural", "O Zanzibar", and "Mekeya A Dzal". CD

A quintet session led by drummer Billy Drummond – with a great lineup that features Steve Wilson on alto and soprano sax, Steve Nelson on vibes, Renee Rosnes on piano, and Ray Drummond on bass. Rosnes provides three of the compositions and other tracks include Ornette Coleman's "Happy House", Thelonious Monk's "Ruby, My Dear", and Bobby Hutcherson's "8/4 Beat". CD

A collection of recordings from three different sessions and three different years featuring the likes of Teddy Edwards and Dextor Gordon. The first session is from 1947 and features Edwards and Gordon on tenor sax, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Red Callender on bass and Roy Porter on drums. Some of their tracks are "Blues In Teddy's Flat" and "The Duel". The next session was recorded in 1950 and features Lee Parker on baritone sax, Henry Durant on tenor sax, James Robertson on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Curley Russell on bass and Eddie Bourne on drums for three takes of "On the House" and "Rollin' With Leo" among others. The final session was recorded in 1955 and features "Wardell Gray on tenor sax, Tate Houston on baritone sax, Gene Phipps on trumpet, Norman Simmons on piano, Victor Sproles on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums for "Hey There" and "Dat's It' among others. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Green Eyes", "Let Me Off Uptown", "Kick It!", "After You've Gone", "Rockin' Chair", "Armour", "Stop! The Red Light's On", "Watch The Birdie", "The Walls Keep Talking", "Skylark", "Bolero At The Savoy", "Thanks For The Boogie Ride", "Keep 'Em Flying", "Pass The Bounce", "Ball Of Fire", "Harlem On Parade", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Barrelhouse Bessie From Basin Street", "That Drummer's Band", "Murder He Says", "Bop Boogie", "Watch Out", "Swiss Lullaby", and "Why Fall In Love With A Stranger". CD

Nedly Elstak may not be a household name – and he's certainly not going to win any charm contests with his pose on the cover – but he's a hell of a great trumpeter from the Dutch scene of the 60s, and comes across beautifully here on a collection of rare live material from back in the day! The set's a real revelation to us – as we'd never heard Elstak before – and in addition to these sparkling trumpet lines that lie somewhere between Clifford Brown and Ted Curson – with the warmth of the former, and bite of the latter – Nedly also plays some piano too – an instrument that he really handles wonderfully – with a real range on the keyboard, and this thoughtful depth of sound that really blows us away. Tracks are all live, but really well recorded – and players include Theo Loevendie on alto, Dick Vennik on tenor, Rein de Graaff on piano, and Willem Breuker on bass clarinet – on titles that include great Elstak originals like "Some Astronomers Wonder", "Love You So", "The Machine", "No One Around", "Double Eclipse", and "Beautiful Mountain". CD

A key record in the establishment of Delmark Records as a powerhouse in blues – a session that began as something of an expedition to find the near-lost Sleepy John Estes – who was brought to the studio to record this really well-done comeback set in 1962! Although Delmark's best known with the electric sound of Chicago blues, their early work did plenty in the same rural blues modes of a label like Arhoolie – and there's a lean, stripped-down quality to the record – a very strong focus on Estes' acoustic guitar and vocals – with support from Knocky Parker on piano, Hammie Nixon on harmonica, and Ed Wilkinson on bass. Titles include "Married Woman Blues", "Rats In My Kitchen", "Drop Down Mama", "Milk Cow Blues", "Stop That Thing", and "Who's Been Telling You Buddy Brown". CD

A key record in the establishment of Delmark Records as a powerhouse in blues – a session that began as something of an expedition to find the near-lost Sleepy John Estes – who was brought to the studio to record this really well-done comeback set in 1962! Although Delmark's best known with the electric sound of Chicago blues, their early work did plenty in the same rural blues modes of a label like Arhoolie – and there's a lean, stripped-down quality to the record – a very strong focus on Estes' acoustic guitar and vocals – with support from Knocky Parker on piano, Hammie Nixon on harmonica, and Ed Wilkinson on bass. Titles include "Married Woman Blues", "Rats In My Kitchen", "Drop Down Mama", "Milk Cow Blues", "Stop That Thing", and "Who's Been Telling You Buddy Brown". CD

A key record in the establishment of Delmark Records as a powerhouse in blues – a session that began as something of an expedition to find the near-lost Sleepy John Estes – who was brought to the studio to record this really well-done comeback set in 1962! Although Delmark's best known with the electric sound of Chicago blues, their early work did plenty in the same rural blues modes of a label like Arhoolie – and there's a lean, stripped-down quality to the record – a very strong focus on Estes' acoustic guitar and vocals – with support from Knocky Parker on piano, Hammie Nixon on harmonica, and Ed Wilkinson on bass. Titles include "Married Woman Blues", "Rats In My Kitchen", "Drop Down Mama", "Milk Cow Blues", "Stop That Thing", and "Who's Been Telling You Buddy Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a handful of great recordings by this second generation AACM group. The group's a trio featuring Kahil El'Zabar, Ed Wilkerson and Joseph Bowie, with a sound that rolls along nicely with a firm, afro-centric rhythm at its core. The compositions are beautiful and spare, with light melodies and extended improvisations by Wilkerson and Bowie on tenor and trombone over the pulsing rhythms. Six numbers in all "Papa's Bounce", "Loose Pocket", "Three And A Half", "Kahil's Blues", "Ancestral Song" and "Mamma's House". CD

A gem of a late life session from Bill Evans – part of that great run when Helen Keane was getting him in the studio in ways that really let Bill relax and open into some very personal modes on the piano! The group here is excellent – the mighty Eddie Gomez on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums – a perfect match for Evans at this point in his career – and the set includes some tunes that Bill didn't record that often, even in a live setting. Titles include "Peau Douce", "Dolphin Dance", "Seascape", "The Opener", "House Is Not A Home", "Quiet Light", and two takes on the title track – "I Will Say Goodbye". CD

The second album from one of the most unique voices in British music in the 60s – a really sublime little set that moves beyond familiar folk, rock, and pop – to put Marianne Faithfull in a mighty special place that's all her own! Right from the very first note of her voice, Marianne's out to sound way different than the rest – with a darkness that almost echoes the solo work of Nico, but a warmer sound that still holds on to some of the previous Brit mode that inform the album. Arrangements are totally great – penned by David Whittaker, Mike Leander, and Jon Mark – conducted by Leander with an eerie sound that's really amazing. Titles include "Come & Stay With Me", "As Tears Go By", "Down Town", "I'm A Loser", "What Have I Done Wrong", "They Never Will Leave You", and "He'll Come Back To Me". CD features 6 bonus cuts – "I'd Like to Dial Your Number", "Morning Sun", "Greensleeves", "House Of The Rising Sun", "The Sha La La Song", and "Oh Look Around You". CD

A classic old school Chicago house number from DJ Pierre, with help from Bad Boy Bill, Mike Hitman Wilson and Steve Silk Hurley. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the best albums ever by this crack soul jazz combo – the mighty Jazztet, an early 60s group led by Art Farmer and Benny Golson! The set was recorded in Chicago, and it features the group hard-grooving through some really well-arranged numbers – lively tunes with a snapping, in-the-pocket kind of groove, played with a lot more soul than you'd expect from either Golson or Farmer's solo albums. The rest of the group's great, too – and features Cedar Walton on piano, Tom McIntosh on trombone, and Albert Heath on drums. A few tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Farmer's Market", "Junction", "November Afternoon", and "Shutterbug". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever by this crack soul jazz combo – the mighty Jazztet, an early 60s group led by Art Farmer and Benny Golson! The set was recorded in Chicago, and it features the group hard-grooving through some really well-arranged numbers – lively tunes with a snapping, in-the-pocket kind of groove, played with a lot more soul than you'd expect from either Golson or Farmer's solo albums. The rest of the group's great, too – and features Cedar Walton on piano, Tom McIntosh on trombone, and Albert Heath on drums. A few tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Farmer's Market", "Junction", "November Afternoon", and "Shutterbug". CD

The stuff of legend – and not just work by the Jazztet combo, but also solo albums from Art Farmer and Benny Golson too! Set includes Jazztet albums Meet The Jazztet, Big City Sounds, Jazztet & John Lewis, Jazztet At Birdhouse, Another Git Together, and Here & Now; Benny Golson albums Turning Point, Free, and Take A Number From 1 to 10; plus Art Farmer albums Art, Listen To Art Farmer, and Perception. CD

Leader and trombonist John Fedchock working with his New York Big Band. Includes the songs "Limehouse Blues", "The Grove City Groover", "La Parguera", "Ruby My Dear", "Blues Du Jour", "Caravan", "Nefertiti", "Louie's Cheese Party", "Nightshades", "My Foolish Heart", and "Flintstoned". CD

A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. LP, Vinyl record album

An early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! LP, Vinyl record album

Nice backing on most tracks by a small combo that features Oscar Peterson on piano and Herb Ellis on guitar – and a larger group on a few more, with Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young on tenors! Titles include "Stompin At The Savoy", "Goody Goody", "Ill Wind", and "Bewitched Bothered & Bewildered". CD

Ella gets nice backing on most tracks by a small combo that features Oscar Peterson on piano and Herb Ellis on guitar – and a larger group on a few more, with Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young on tenors! Titles include "Stompin At The Savoy", "Goody Goody", "Ill Wind", and "Bewitched Bothered & Bewildered". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely wonderful collection of work from the legendary 5 Royales – one of the most important groups of the R&B generation, with a strong influence on 60s soul – both in the way they handled their vocals, and the way they used their guitar! The music here is fantastic – some of the most hard-hitting of their generation, and quite different than some of the sweeter or more commercial vocal group work of the period – not really doo wop, and more a strong lead singer (the mighty Lowman Pauling), backed by some great harmonies to really send him over the top! This beautiful package features all the recordings made by the group during their key years – many cuts for the legendary King Records, plus later work for House Of Blues and a few other labels – all packaged in a cool book-style cover with loads of notes and images. 141 tracks in all – including some previously unreleased songs – all in a cool 7" hardcover book! CD

A lost early chapter in the career of Roberta Flack – material recorded during the sessions for her legendary First Take album, but unissued at the time – and presented here with an amazing demonstration of the depth of her young talents! All the genius of First Take is in place here – that groundbreaking territory between jazz and soul that set Roberta apart from the pack, right from the start – but there's also a wider range of currents going on – maybe some more jazz-based numbers, mixed with other soul-referenced titles too – a wider span that furthers the role that Flack plays as a bridge between the 60s innovations of Nina Simone and a host of others to follow. The group is just a trio – Flack on piano with Marshall Hawkins on bass and Bernard Sweetney on drums – but the tunes have a very wide-open vibe that's very visionary, and every bit as great as Roberta's debut! Titles include a stunning version of "Afro Blue", plus "It's Way Past Suppertime", "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Groove Me", "To Sir With Love", "The Song Is Love", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out", "The House Song", and "Hush A Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", "Where Is The Love", "Killing Me Softly With His Song", "Feel Like Makin' Love", "The Closer I Get To You", "More Than Everything", "Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love)", "Back Together Again", "Making Love", "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love", "Oasis", "And So It Goes", "You Know What It's Like", "Set The Night To Music", "My Foolish Heart",and "Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) (Steve Hurley's House Mix)". CD

Fantastic sounds from Flying Lotus – an artist who just keeps on pushing past any conventional expectations, to a point where his music is almost a genre unto itself! The record's got this very tripped-out sort of vibe – very much in keeping with the image on the cover – and while many others are exploring this territory of late, few ever even get close to the right sort of mix that's going on here – subtle elements of soul, funk, jazz, hip hop, and maybe a million other influences – all flowing through the double-length space of the set, as it Flying Lotus redefines the sound of soul in the modern age. The set's got guest work from Thundercat, Shabazz Palaces, David Lynch, George Clinton, Anderson Paak, Little Dragon, Solange, and others – and titles include "Post Requisite", "Takashi", "Spontaneous", "More", "Burning Down The House", "Actually Virtual", "Find Your Own Way Home", "The Climb", "Debbie Is Depressed", "Black BAloons Reprise", and "Land Of Honey". CD

Fantastic sounds from Flying Lotus – an artist who just keeps on pushing past any conventional expectations, to a point where his music is almost a genre unto itself! The record's got this very tripped-out sort of vibe – very much in keeping with the image on the cover – and while many others are exploring this territory of late, few ever even get close to the right sort of mix that's going on here – subtle elements of soul, funk, jazz, hip hop, and maybe a million other influences – all flowing through the double-length space of the set, as it Flying Lotus redefines the sound of soul in the modern age. The set's got guest work from Thundercat, Shabazz Palaces, David Lynch, George Clinton, Anderson Paak, Little Dragon, Solange, and others – and titles include "Post Requisite", "Takashi", "Spontaneous", "More", "Burning Down The House", "Actually Virtual", "Find Your Own Way Home", "The Climb", "Debbie Is Depressed", "Black BAloons Reprise", and "Land Of Honey". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Al Foster has a hell of a legacy, one that includes some famous 70s work with Miles Davis – and he's a hell of a leader, too – the kind that always seems to get a little sort of something extra from the players in his group! That's definitely the case here, as he works with a lineup that includes Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Chris Potter on tenor and soprano, and Kevin Hays on piano and Fender Rhodes – all musicians you'll know from their own records, but who come together here with a strong sense of voice under Al's leadership! Potter feels warmed up and more soulful than usual, Payton seems to have a bit more bite, and Hayes really feels unbridled on the keys – maybe in part because the record also has some excellent work on bass from Vicente Archer. Titles include the Foster originals "TS Monk", "Monk's Bossa", and "Anastasia" – plus takes on "Pent Up House", "Blues On The Corner, "Punjab", and "Half Nelson". CD

Lee Ritenour on guitar, Bob James on keyboards, Nathan East on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums. CD

The very first album from Frijid Pink – a heady set from the Detroit scene, yet one that also instantly has the group stepping away from their contemporaries! There's plenty of the freak and fuzz that you'd guess from bigger acts who emerged on the US scene from the Motor City in the years before – but the vocals from Tom Beaudry maybe have this more focused, soaring style that also prefaces some huge shifts in American hard rock at the time – soulful, but not with a soul influence, if that makes sense at all – and perfect next to the incredible guitar work from Gary Ray Thompson. Titles include "Drivin Blues", "I'm On My Way", "God Gave Me You", "I Want To Be Your Lover", "Boozin Blues", "House Of The Rising Sun", "Tell Me Why", and "Cryin Shame". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that some might call the last truly great Peter Gabriel album – and a key cap to his excellent initial solo run! The album's got a deeper feel than before – slightly richer colors, more spiritual themes, and arguably more of a sense of majesty – almost an echo of some of the Native American modes explored by Laurie Anderson, who was then a recent collaborator of Gabriel! Instrumentation builds a bit more than before – with less guitars in parts, more percussive bits, and some funkier elements at the bottom that aren't exactly funky – more just a punch in force from the ground up. Gabriel's definitely feeling a sense of power here – and titles include "Lay Your Hands On Me", "Shock The Monkey", "San Jacinto", "I Have The Touch", "The Family & The Fishing Net", and "The Rhythm Of The Heat". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully tripped-out material from Gale Garnett & The Gentle Reign – titled after the Sausalito Heliport, a northern California complex that housed a bunch of hippy dippy bands in the late 60s! The album's a wonderful blend of Bay Area freedoms and some of the folksier and sweeter touches of east coast groups of the time – with instrumentation that includes organ, harpsichord, guitar, and lots of cool percussion – and a style that's got lots of wild elements, yet always manages to compress them down into cool sunshiney tunes! Titles include "Peace Comes Slowly To The Thrashing Fish", "Water Your Mind", "The Trip Note Song", "Man In The Middle", "Want Ad", and "Deer In The City". LP, Vinyl record album

Eternal soul from Marvin Gaye in both its classic form AND in a contemporary light – on a nice little 10-inch single! Side 1 features the original 7-inch single mono versions of "What's Going On" and "God Is Love" – both as mindblowing today as ever – not only just because it documents the incredible moment Marvin moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was innovating an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. Side 2 features new versions of "What's Going On" with contemporary hip hop soul hero BJ The Chicago Kid and a remix – both of which are surprisingly solid given the historical heft of the originals, but we really gotta hand it to BJ The Chicago Kid for approaching the contemporary remodel/"duet" with the utmost care and respect! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A stunning roster of players made up the house band at Hermosa Beach, CA's legendary Lighthouse Cafe – an outfit accompanied on these early-to-mid 50s dates by tenor sax giant Stan Getz – with work that's as much an aural snapshot of the sound of place and time as it is a piece of the players' pedigrees! The 2CDs in this set is made up of work captured on a few dates in 1953 and 1955 – some of it laidback and charming, and some of it with more than a little bit of heat and heaviness – with lots of players that include Russ Freeman on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, Jimmy Guiffre on baritone, Teddy Charles on vibes, Howard Rumsey on bass, Shorty Rogers and Maynard Ferguson on trumpets, Milt Bernhart on trombone, and others! Disc 1 titles include "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Jive At Five", "Moonlight In Vermont", Topsy", "Bernie's Tune", "Solitaire" and more. Disc 2 includes "Morgan Davis", "La Soncailli", "The Big Top", "The Duke You Say!", "Mood For Lighthouse", "Casa De Luz" and more. CD

A strange pairing – but that's sometimes what makes these Verve "pro meets pro" sets from the 50s so great. Getz and Johnson are backed by Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, and Connie Kay – and the tracks are longish, with plenty of solo room in the open jam session mode of the recording. Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "My Funny Valentine", "Crazy Rhythm", and "Blues In The Closet". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange pairing – but that's sometimes what makes these Verve "pro meets pro" sets from the 50s so great. Getz and Johnson are backed by Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, and Connie Kay – and the tracks are longish, with plenty of solo room in the open jam session mode of the recording. Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "My Funny Valentine", "Crazy Rhythm", and "Blues In The Closet". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 60s meeting of groovy talents from both sides of the Atlantic – and a record that matches the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie with the hiply swinging vocals of The Double Six Of Paris! The group were a wonderfully groovy precursor to the Swingle Singers – and sung in a scatting approach to jazz vocals that was very much in the tradition of Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross – but also drew inspiration from the earlier work of Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and others. Their sound is great – much more 60s groovy than some other vocal groups – and pairing them with Dizzy gives this record an added punch that some of their other sessions are missing! Backing is small combo throughout – with either Bud Powell or Kenny Barron on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and James Moody on tenor – and with the presence of Diz, most of the material here is of bop orientation – taken at a fast and lively clip! Lalo Schifrin arranged the whole session too – and titles include "One Bass Hit", "Blue N Boogie", "Emanon", "Groovin High", "Ow", "The Champ", "Tin Tin Deo", "Hot House", and "Con Alma". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 60s meeting of groovy talents from both sides of the Atlantic – and a record that matches the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie with the hiply swinging vocals of The Double Six Of Paris! The group were a wonderfully groovy precursor to the Swingle Singers – and sung in a scatting approach to jazz vocals that was very much in the tradition of Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross – but also drew inspiration from the earlier work of Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and others. Their sound is great – much more 60s groovy than some other vocal groups – and pairing them with Dizzy gives this record an added punch that some of their other sessions are missing! Backing is small combo throughout – with either Bud Powell or Kenny Barron on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and James Moody on tenor – and with the presence of Diz, most of the material here is of bop orientation – taken at a fast and lively clip! Lalo Schifrin arranged the whole session too – and titles include "One Bass Hit", "Blue N Boogie", "Emanon", "Groovin High", "Ow", "The Champ", "Tin Tin Deo", "Hot House", and "Con Alma". CD

Sublime work from The Glass House – two full albums, plus bonus tracks too! First up is Inside The Glass House – a great album by one of lost groups on the Invictus label! Glass House were a stellar male/female vocal group with a good deep soul sound – very much in the spirit of other Invictus albums of the era, with a tremendous feel for down home, gritty soul but executed with the smooth HDH vibe – a really wonderful blend that's slightly different than other Holland-Dozier-Holland productions of the time – making The Glass House a real standout in 70s soul! Ronald Dunbar handled all of the production for Holland-Dozier-Holland, and he also wrote most of the tracks – and titles include "You Ain't Livin' Unless You're Lovin", "Crumbs Off The Table", "Heaven Is There To Guide Us", and "I Surrendered". Thanks I Needed That is the sublime second album from The Glass House – even rarer than the group's first, and an overlooked gem in the Holland-Dozier-Holland treasure box of the early 70s! There's a sweetness here that you don't always find on other H-D-H projects – a touch of harmony soul that really makes the album come off with a great deal of charm, even though there's plenty of Invictus Records force in the grooves – that great post-Motown sound that the label pioneered as the second generation of Detroit soul. Arrangements are by McKinley Jackson and HB Barnum – and the album's filled with great titles that include "Horse & Rider", "House Is Not A Home", "VIP", "Thanks I Needed That", "Don't Let It Rain On Me", and "Giving Up The Ring". CD also features 6 bonus tracks – including "He's In My Life", "Bad Bill Of Goods", "I Can't Be You", "Playing Games", "It Ain't The World", and "Let It Flow (single)". CD

An underground classic from Beverly Glenn-Copeland – an artist who was later known more as a keyboard player, but who here works in this amazing blend of folk, jazz, and soul! The album's vaguely in the territory of Terry Callier on early 70s Cadet Records, but also has its own special vibe too – deeper, darker sound overall – with subtle blending of acoustic elements that are mixed with Beverly's vocals in a way that's unlike anything we can really describe! The singer has a subtle power – a style that could be too dramatic in the wrong setting, but which is fitted here with musical elements that really help the songs flower in the best sort of way – instrumentation that includes contributions from Jeremy Steig on flute, Don Thompson on piano, and Lenny Breau on guitar. Titles include the fantastic long groover "Erzili", plus "Cumberland Passing", "Song From Beads", "Colors Of Anyhow", "Ghost House", "Swords Of Cold", and "My Old Rag Or Hysterical Virgin". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful small combo session from tenorist Benny Golson – one of a few key albums like this from the early years! Although Golson is perhaps best known as a lively arranger in the modern idiom, he's also a kick-ass tenor player when he wants to be – and on this classic, he definitely wants to be! Unlike some of Golson's more tightly arranged records of the early years, this date is a deeply gutsy soul jazz session – support from a group that includes Ray Bryant on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Art Blakey on drums, and Curtis Fuller on trombone – all sliding into long tracks that have plenty of room for solos! The whole thing's a bit like the more spontaneous side of the Jazz Messengers groove – and titles include "The Stroller", "Drumboogie", "My Blues House", and a beautiful version of "Yesterdays". CD

A wonderful small combo session from tenorist Benny Golson – one of a few key albums like this from the early years! Although Golson is perhaps best known as a lively arranger in the modern idiom, he's also a kick-ass tenor player when he wants to be – and on this classic, he definitely wants to be! Unlike some of Golson's more tightly arranged records of the early years, this date is a deeply gutsy soul jazz session – support from a group that includes Ray Bryant on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Art Blakey on drums, and Curtis Fuller on trombone – all sliding into long tracks that have plenty of room for solos! The whole thing's a bit like the more spontaneous side of the Jazz Messengers groove – and titles include "The Stroller", "Drumboogie", "My Blues House", and a beautiful version of "Yesterdays". CD

A four-pack of albums from this seminal group – all brought together in a single set! Where Were You is a seminal set from the Sunset Strip scene of the 60s – and just the kind of record that shows why the changes taking place in Cali were so important to the growth of so much other music at the time! A few years before, and The Grass Roots would have been a pop folk combo re-tuning traditional tracks for the coffeehouse scene – but here they're taking off with some post-folk modes that are partly sunshine pop, partly the headier currents that were the darker side of the west coast – all put together with superb production by PF Sloan and Steve Barri – who also penned some of the best tunes on the record. Titles include the great "Where Were You When I Needed You" – plus "Only When You're Lonely", "Look Out Girl", "Ain't That Loving You Baby", "I've Got No More To Say", "I Am A Rock", "Tell Me", and "Mr Jones". Let's Live For Today is maybe the most famous record ever given to the world by California quartet The Grass Roots – famous for its title tune, and for the way that it effortlessly blends together folk inclinations and psych inspirations! The record's definitely one of those that showed the world that there was something new in the air at the time – put together with perfect production in the studio from Steve Barri and PF Sloan – who are in territory that's somewhere between the best from Brian Wilson and Abbey Road Studios – but a bit more understated than both! Titles include the classic "Let's Live For Today" – plus "Things I Should Have Said", "Wake Up Wake Up", "No Exit", "This Precious Time", "House Of Stone", "Is It Any Wonder", and "Tip Of My Tongue". Feelings is a great departure for The Grass Roots – a set that has the group taking a stronger role overall in the instrumentation and songwriting on the record – at a level that makes the whole thing a fabulous extension of all the genius they'd given the world on previous sets! There's still that cool blend of post-folk and psychedelic elements taking place here – gently swirled together with acoustic and electric guitars setting the tunes up just right – all with a late 60s Cali vibe that's as great today as when it was recorded. Titles include "The Sins Of A Family Fall On The Daughter", "Melody For You", "You Might As Well Go My Way", "Dinner For Eight", "Good Things Come To An End", "You & Love Are The Same", and "Hey Friend". CD

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by hardbop trombone legend Bennie Green – an all-star sextet session that cooks like a mofo! The group features the twin tenors of Billy Root and Gene Ammons (billed just as "Jug" on the session, because of contractual reasons) – and it crackles with electricity from a rhythm section that features Ike Isaacs on bass, Sonny Clark on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums. There's some fantastic tracks on here, including Babs Gonzales' "Lullaby of the Doomed", and a monster jam called "We Wanna Cook", which was once described to us as "all you ever need to have a house party" – to which we wholeheartedly agree! Other tracks include "Black Pearl", "BG Mambo", and "Soul Stirrin" – and the album's one of the heaviest duty Blue Notes from the time! Features a bonus mono take of "Soul Stirrin". CD

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by hardbop trombone legend Bennie Green – an all-star sextet session that cooks like a mofo! The group features the twin tenors of Billy Root and Gene Ammons (billed just as "Jug" on the session, because of contractual reasons) – and it crackles with electricity from a rhythm section that features Ike Isaacs on bass, Sonny Clark on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums. There's some fantastic tracks on here, including Babs Gonzales' "Lullaby of the Doomed", and a monster jam called "We Wanna Cook", which was once described to us as "all you ever need to have a house party" – to which we wholeheartedly agree! Other tracks include "Black Pearl", "BG Mambo", and "Soul Stirrin" – and the album's one of the heaviest duty Blue Notes from the time! LP, Vinyl record album

Funky fusion from the Brazilian scene of the 80s – music from a time when the best electric jazz was more the product of indie labels like the Som Da Gente powerhouse – a company who really let Grupo Medusa find their groove! The band features some great keyboard work on Fender Rhodes and clavinet by Amilson Godoy, plus some great guitar playing by Heraldo Do Monte, in a style that's much more soaring, groovy, and upbeat than some of his solo albums. There's also lots of great Brazilian percussion in the rhythms – and as with other Brazilian jazz of the style, there's often a bit of vocals mixed in, almost at an instrumental sort of level. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Pe No Chao", "Uma Viagem", "Ponto De Fusao", and "Baiana". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "First Time I Met The Blues", "The Way You Been Treating Me", "Sit And Cry (The Blues)", "This Is The End", "Stone Crazy", "When My Left Eye Jumps", "My Time After While", "Hold That Plane", "Hello San Francisco", "Five Long Years", "First Time I Met The Blues", "A Man Of Many Words", "T-Bone Shuffle", "When You See The Tears From My Eyes", "Ten Years Ago", "Blues At My Baby's House", "She Suits Me To A T", and "Just Teasin'". CD

If you don't know the music of Merle Haggard & The Strangers this record can serve as a great introduction. You get some of his classics and his classic sound on such songs as "All Of Me Belongs To You" and "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive". You also get a taste of the Merle Haggard ballad on the super "House Of Memories". The other highlight is his version of Jimmie Rodgers' "My Rough & Rowdy Ways". Great all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

Prime Hag, recorded during his peak song writing years in the early 70s, and one of the better LPs recorded with the Strangers! Merle's in his gentler story song mode for much of the record, but with driving Bakersfield honky tonk sound to keep things moving at a tight clip. Haggard penned several of the tunes, including "Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)", "Turnin' Off A Memory" and "Irma Jackson", but nods to Tommy Collins and Bob Wills for the Bakersfield style stompers – including "Bring It On To My House, Honey", "Wildwood Flower", and "The Funeral", plus Red Foley's great "Old Doc Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

Mary Halvorson on guitar. CD

Mary Halvorson on guitar, Jon Irabagon on alto saxophone, John Hebert on bass, Ches Smith on drums, Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar, Ingrid Laubrock on tenor saxophone, Jacob Garchik on trombone, and Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet. CD

Features Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Ingrid Laubrock on tenor sax, Jacob Garchik on trombone, and others! CD

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a record that just gets better and better the more we listen to it – and we've listened to it for years! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a record that just gets better and better the more we listen to it – and we've listened to it for years! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do". This stunning version adds in some killer bonus tracks – 6 never-heard cuts from the Milestone vaults, including "Song For My Family", "Funky Native", "Detroit Rainbow", "Can't We Smile (alt)", and slow and fast versions of "A Child's Love". CD

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a record that just gets better and better the more we listen to it – and we've listened to it for years! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do". This stunning version adds in some killer bonus tracks – 6 never-heard cuts from the Milestone vaults, including "Song For My Family", "Funky Native", "Detroit Rainbow", "Can't We Smile (alt)", and slow and fast versions of "A Child's Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album of instrumental music inspired by the Lord Of The Rings – maybe not the all-out Frodo Fest you might expect, but a set that's been pretty important to fans of JRR Tokien over the years – especially in the years before DVDs and other mass-market versions of his masterpiece! Bo Hansson works here heavy on keyboards, but also uses some nicely spacey guitars – all spun out over tunes that could each work as mini-soundtracks for separate sections of the three volume book – with titles that include "Fog On The Barrow Downs", "Leaving The Shire", "Lothlorien", "Shadowfax", "The Black Riders & Flight To The Ford", and "Dreams In The House Of Healing". CD

A legendary album of instrumental music inspired by the Lord Of The Rings – maybe not the all-out Frodo Fest you might expect, but a set that's been pretty important to fans of JRR Tokien over the years – especially in the years before DVDs and other mass-market versions of his masterpiece! Bo Hansson works here heavy on keyboards, but also uses some nicely spacey guitars – all spun out over tunes that could each work as mini-soundtracks for separate sections of the three volume book – with titles that include "Fog On The Barrow Downs", "Leaving The Shire", "Lothlorien", "Shadowfax", "The Black Riders & Flight To The Ford", and "Dreams In The House Of Healing". LP, Vinyl record album

The first full length collaboration between blues, soul and rock slide guitar eclecticist Ben Harper and harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite – and it's win for both – with a vibe that's rooted in many traditions, but feels right at home in both Harper's and Musselwhite's wheelhouses. We expected a blues & soul covers set when we first heard that this project was in the works – and while the prospect of these 2 fellows working together on the classic Americana songbook sounds like a pretty good idea to us – we're actually all the more impressed with this all originals take on classic styled craft. A bit of blues and blues rock, a bit of gospel, and a bit of southern styled folk soul – and a bunch of great songs! It's a full band set up for the most part, too, as opposed to a spare duos set – and the titles include "Don't Look Twice", "I'm In I'm Out And I'm Gone", "We Can't End This Way", "You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend), "I Ride At Dawn", "Get Up!", "She Got Kick", "Blood Side Out" and "All That Matters Now". CD

A key early record for the Edwin Hawkins Singers – issued right after the group had changed their name from the less-catchy Northern California State Youth Choir! The record contains Hawkins' huge hit "Oh Happy Day" – done with soloist Dorothy Morrison, a voice that was strong enough to push this one from the gospel market right onto the pop charts! Other tunes follow in a similar style, really hitting hard for the soul generation – and tracks include "I'm Going Through", "Early In The Morning", "Joy Joy", and "To My Father's House". LP, Vinyl record album

2 massive Isaac Hayes soundtracks in one set – both from the magical cinematic year of 1974! Truck Turner is a hard and heavy soundtrack that we like even more than his classic work on Shaft! Unlike Shaft, Ike actually starred in the film Truck Turner – which may be one reason why he brought his full game to the table for the record – and scored a batch of badass tunes that still stand with some of the best funky soundtrack work of the 70s! The rhythm's especially hard on the best cuts – really crackling with a lot of intensity, and a stark, hard funky sound that's made the record a favorite of beatheads for years! Ike kicks it hard on cuts like "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile", "House Full Of Girls", "Drinking", "Give It To Me", "Now We're One", "Breakthrough", "House of Beauty", and the massive title cut "Truck Turner". Tough Guys is deeper and more complicated than the groove of Shaft and Truck Turner, and filled with some great tunes that glow with color, life, and imagination – showing an Isaac Hayes that almost seems to be moving beyond the usual blackploitation groove! The album sports 2 really classic tunes – the title theme "Tough Guys", and the classic "Hung Up On My Baby" – both of which have a solidly funky feel that will more than please the usual soundtrack beathead crowd. But overall, the other tunes twist and turn in a delightful mix of modes – expanding on the soulful territory Ike first explored in his original soundtracks, and offering up a great range of moods and emotion. The album's got some especially great chromatic guitar work – and other titles include "Joe Bell", "Randolph & Dearborn", "Buns O Plenty", "Run Fay Run", and "Red Rooster". CD

Massive work from Isaac Hayes – a hard and heavy soundtrack that we like even more than his classic work on Shaft! Unlike Shaft, Ike actually starred in the film Truck Turner – which may be one reason why he brought his full game to the table for the record – and scored a batch of badass tunes that still stand with some of the best funky soundtrack work of the 70s! The rhythm's especially hard on the best cuts – really crackling with a lot of intensity, and a stark, hard funky sound that's made the record a favorite of beatheads for years! Ike kicks it hard on cuts like "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile", "House Full Of Girls", "Drinking", "Give It To Me", "Now We're One", "Breakthrough", "House of Beauty", and the massive title cut "Truck Turner". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest Lee Hazlewood albums, and one of the coolest, too – the set falls a bit later than some of his other work on the Swedish scene – and, like Cowboy In Sweden, it's also a soundtrack too – but the vibe is different than that one, and almost shows this maturation of Lee's style – as if he's absorbing even more unusual elements during his time overseas, and finding a way to keep growing his sound away from his American years in LA! All the Hazlewood craft for songs and nicely wry vocals is still very much in place – but there's also some nice shifts in the arrangements, too – deepening things some fuller elements at times, yet stepping back into tighter elements at others. Titles include "Soul's Island", "A House Safe For Tigers", "Our Little Boy Blue", "Sand Hill Anna & The Russian", "Absent Friends", and a nice remake of "The Nights"! CD

One of the rarest Lee Hazlewood albums, and one of the coolest, too – the set falls a bit later than some of his other work on the Swedish scene – and, like Cowboy In Sweden, it's also a soundtrack too – but the vibe is different than that one, and almost shows this maturation of Lee's style – as if he's absorbing even more unusual elements during his time overseas, and finding a way to keep growing his sound away from his American years in LA! All the Hazlewood craft for songs and nicely wry vocals is still very much in place – but there's also some nice shifts in the arrangements, too – deepening things some fuller elements at times, yet stepping back into tighter elements at others. Titles include "Soul's Island", "A House Safe For Tigers", "Our Little Boy Blue", "Sand Hill Anna & The Russian", "Absent Friends", and a nice remake of "The Nights"! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of our favorite work ever from the mighty Lee Hazlewood – material recorded under his own name for Reprise Records – during a stretch when he was also producing for the label with Nancy Sinatra and Dean Martin! The 2CD set features 3 full albums, plus great bonus tracks too – and the assembled lot is as great of a tribute to Hazlewood's genius as we've ever seen! First up is The NSVIPs – a set that follows up the same sort of "story song" format that Lee laid down on his wonderful Trouble album for Mercury – but done here with themes that are a bit hipper, and more wry – in keeping with his Reprise persona. Next is Friday's Child, which has some of Hazlewood's most beautifully-penned tunes – tracks that mix the whimsy of his bigger hits with some great darker elements. Last up is the amazing Love & Other Crimes – one of our favorite albums of the 60s, magically recorded in Paris with a very unique sound – and a style that's a bit different than some of Hazlewood's other records. Titles include "First Street Blues", "I Had A Friend", "Everybody Calls Me Something", "Me & Charlie", "A Real Live Fool", "Hutchinson Jail", "By The Way", "Houston", "Morning Dew", "The House Song", "Love & Other Crimes", "Pour Man", and "Wait & See". Bonus tracks are great too – and include Hazlewood tracks "Ode To Billie Joe", "Rainbow Woman", "I Am You Are", and "Charlie Bill Nelson" – plus other gems that include "Just Bluesin" and "Houston" by Sanford Clark, "A Stranger In Town" by The Vanguards, "The Whisk" by The Whisk Kids, "Zapata" by Jack Nitzsche, "What Are We Gonna Do In 64" by The Wildcats, "Our Man Flint" by The Ring A Dings, and "This Town" by Duane Eddy. 55 tracks in all. CD

Some of our favorite work ever from the mighty Lee Hazlewood – material recorded under his own name for Reprise Records – during a stretch when he was also producing for the label with Nancy Sinatra and Dean Martin! The 2CD set features 3 full albums, plus great bonus tracks too – and the package is as great of a tribute to Hazlewood's genius as we've ever seen! First up is The NSVIPs – a set that follows up the same sort of "story song" format that Lee laid down on his wonderful Trouble album for Mercury – but done here with themes that are a bit hipper, and more wry – in keeping with his Reprise persona. Next is Friday's Child, which has some of Hazlewood's most beautifully-penned tunes – tracks that mix the whimsy of his bigger hits with some great darker elements. Last up is the amazing Love & Other Crimes – one of our favorite albums of the 60s, magically recorded in Paris with a very unique sound – and a style that's a bit different than some of Hazlewood's other records. Titles include "First Street Blues", "I Had A Friend", "Everybody Calls Me Something", "Me & Charlie", "A Real Live Fool", "Hutchinson Jail", "By The Way", "Houston", "Morning Dew", "The House Song", "Love & Other Crimes", "Pour Man", and "Wait & See". Bonus tracks are great too – and include Hazlewood tracks "Ode To Billie Joe", "Rainbow Woman", "I Am You Are", and "Charlie Bill Nelson" – plus other gems that include "Just Bluesin" and "Houston" by Sanford Clark, "A Stranger In Town" by The Vanguards, "The Whisk" by The Whisk Kids, "Zapata" by Jack Nitzsche, "What Are We Gonna Do In 64" by The Wildcats, "Our Man Flint" by The Ring A Dings, and "This Town" by Duane Eddy. 55 tracks in all – in a beautiful package with a gorgeous book! CD

The legendary Headhunters are still in mighty great shape after all these years – different in lineup, but still a sublime showcase for the work of Mike Clark on drums and Bill Summers on percussion – two of the core Headhunters who first worked with Herbie Hancock back in the 70s! The rest of the lineup features alto sax from Donald Harrison, plus keyboards from Kyle Roussel and bass from Chris Severin – and as with other later iterations of the group, there's a fair bit of jazz in the mix, alongside the more familiar funk of the Headhunters' own records from back in the day – a quality that's probably even more pronounced here in the live setting, which features extended tracks with plenty of room for solos! Titles include versions of "Chameleon", "Headhunter Jam", "Four String Drive", "Butterfly", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Rocking At The Mole House", and "Watermelon Man". CD

New music from the legendary Headhunters – that crucial 70s funk combo who grew out of their role working with Herbie Hancock to become one of our favorite groups of that decade! Years later, they still sound pretty darn wonderful too – altered a bit in terms of the lineup, and slightly shifted in sound – but in the best way possible, so that they're not just rehashing the old days, and are instead exploring new territory – maybe even jazzier than on their famous albums for Arista from back in the day, and arguably even better here on the Ropeadope label than some of their other records in recent years. The drums of Mike Clark are rock-solid throughout, and augmented by the percussion of Bill Summers, who also plays a bit of keyboards – as does Stephen Gordon, who handles Fender Rhodes and piano – while Donald Harrison serves up all sorts of great alto solos throughout! Titles include "Kongo Square", "Actual Proof", "Stop Watch", "HH 75", "Vaspurakan", and "Over The Bar". CD

Richly complex later work from Larry "Mr Fingers" Heard – proof that he wasn't just a simple house musician on the Chicago scene! The album's a great illustration of the bridge that Heard helped provide from original house towards some of the deeper, more complicated modes that took hold once the 21st Century approached – a style that was especially important in paving the way for some of the bigger names from the London scene, especially those most strongly influenced by jazz. Heard's keyboard lines here are supposedly improvised over rhythm programs – and while they're not as openly jazzy as you might expect, they're certainly a far distance from basic house music – making the album an adventurous instrumental affair for the time! Titles include "Snowcaps", "One Three Five Seven", "Midnight Movement", and "Dolphin Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A great electric set – recorded at the Lighthouse in 1970, in that slightly funky mode of Joe's best work from the time! Joe Henderson's beautiful soloing style, honed at this point on a number of fine Blue Note recordings, is set free in a band that includes Woody Shaw, Lenny White, and George Cables, who plays beautifully on electric piano. Tracks include new versions of "Mode for Joe" and "Blue Bossa" – redone with a sweet gliding 70s groove – plus "Carribean Fire Dance", "If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem", and "Round Midnight". The core original album If You're Not Part Of The Solution is expanded with tracks pulled from the Joe Henderson box set – making for a 10-title package that recaptures the whole original performance. Extra tracks include "Recorda-Me", "Isotope", "A Shade Of Jade", and "Invitation". CD

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The brilliant bluesy side of Hendrix – great stuff recorded from '66-'70 – including his most blues based originals and incredible covers! Bluesy it is, but it's also Jimi – with the soaring, loose and massively influential lead guitar grooves and many of which went unreleased until the 90s – and remains among the most essential of posthumous Hendrix releases. Includes "Hear My Train A Comin'" (acoustic and electric versions), "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Catfish Blues", "Red House", "Voodoo Chile Blues", "Mannish Boy", "Once I Had A Woman", "Jam 292" and "Electric Church Red House". CD

A massive amount of music that definitely lives up to its title – not the debut album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but instead 4CDs' worth of rare music, both live and studio – more than enough to deeply enrich your experience of the music of Jimi Hendrix! The package is a real delight to those who've been trying to track down bits like these on bootlegs over the years – a fully-licensed package put together with the Experience Hendrix folks, filled with unreleased alternates, live recordings, unusual mixes, and more! The set features a whopping 56 rare tracks, four whole new songs mixed with live tracks and alternates – and an 80 page booklet of rare photos and notes on the tracks. Titles include live versions of "Little Wing", "Red House", "Purple Haze", "All Along The Watchtower", "In From The Storm", "Fire", and "The Wind Cries Mary" – plus unreleased recordings of "Little Wing", "Slow Blues", "If 6 Was 9", "Title #3", "Hey Joe", "Highway Chile", and "Room Full Of Mirrors" – and alternate versions of "Sweet Angel", "Gloria", "Message To Love", and lots more! CD

Includes the songs "Rosetta", "Cavernism", "Harlem Lament", "Mad House", "Darkness", "Swingin' Down", "Flany Doodle Swing", "Pianology", "Rhythm Sundae", "Inspiration", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Hines Rhythm", "Rhythm Rhapsody", "Ridin' A Riff", and "Solid Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

A really different take on Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation" – a version that's totally cut up and reworked by Marshall Jefferson, into a style that's almost a pastiche homage to the track – and Loleatta in general! "Dr Love" is handled in a similar style – using bits from First Choice's original tune, and resorting the whole thing into a Chicago house-styled number! 12-inch, Vinyl record