As you can guess by their image on the cover, Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods were hardly the stuff of cutting-edge rock in the 70s – but they certainly made for some great pop classics during the glory days of AM Radio! The cover photo is old, but this set is actually new – a reformed version of the group, working in a surprisingly faithful studio setting – to recapture the pristine pop glory of their hits, and some other classics from the 70s! In fact, if we hadn't dipped into the notes, we'd be tempted to say that all the work here is vintage – which is our tip of the hat to the production team behind the record – who really do a great job with tunes that include "Billy Don't Be A Hero", "Sad Eyes", "Who Do You Think You Are", "Sky High", "Hooked On A Feeling", "Wildflower", "Hello It's Me", and "Saturday Night". CD

A great little collection that definitely gets at the mojo of Dr John – the legendary New Orleans soul singer who really sprang forth in the mainstream at the end of the 60s! Much of this set captures the doctor before that time – early tracks from both New Orleans and LA, all of which echo the vibe of his later productions, but with a style that's maybe more stripped-down and a bit less psychedelic – although there's still a few great trippy touches along the way! CD1 features material recorded both as Dr John, and under his real name of Mac Rebenack – and CD2 features more early rarities, plus some live material too. 31 tracks in all – with titles that include "Feedbag", "Sahara", "Good Times", "The Ear Is On Strike", "Go Ahead On", "Doghouse Blues", "Got Lonesome-itis", "You Said It", "Make Your Own", "Somebody Tryin To Hoodoo Me", "I Pulled The Cover Off You Two Lovers", "Don't Want No Monkey In My Business", and "Bring Your Own Along". CD

A massive collection of late work from Elmore James – a 3CD set that brings together all of his famous material for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records, plus rare alternate takes, and some unusual bonus material as well! James passed away right after this work was recorded, but he's really on fire here – playing with a guitar style that's raw, raspy, and maybe even more breathtaking than some of his other early 60s electric contemporaries – still singing with his voice in the lead on most numbers, but maybe almost letting his instrument sing even more strongly too! The production is great – lots of sock-soul arrangements that really pack a punch – and which really make us wonder what Elmore might have done, had he lasted through the 60s. 3CD set features 54 tracks in all – with titles that include "One Way Out", "Person To Person", "Look On Yonder Wall", "Up Jumped Elmore", "Pickin The Blues", "Rollin & Tumblin", "The Sky Is Crying", "Bleeding Heart", "It Hurts Me Too", "You Know You're Wrong", "Sunnyland", "Mean Mistreatin Mama", "Done Somebody Wrong", "Bobby's Rock", "Dust My Broom", "She's Got To Go", "Standing At The Crossroads", "I Gotta Go Now", and "Stranger Blues". CD

Searing sax instrumentals from the great King Curtis – plus a lot more too – as this package not only brings together the King's records as a leader for Enjoy Records, but also digs up lots of performances as a sideman for that famous Harlem record label too! The grooves here are raw and ready, nice and tight, and done with a nitty gritty style that might have been funk if the cuts were recorded a few years later – but which definitely had a bit influence on countless soul instrumental modes to come, both in the rhythms and in King's wicked lead work on saxophone! The package features some of the best instrumental singles that Curtis cut for Enjoy Records, from his Soul Twist album and other singles – and CD2 also features material that Curtis cut for Enjoy as a soloist on records for other artists! CD1 features 18 tracks that include "Soul Twist", "Twisting Time", "The Monkey Shout", "Hot Potato", "Midnight Blue", "Wobble Twist", "What'd I Say (parts 1 & 2)", and "Big Dipper". CD2 features tracks that include "Our Love Will Never End" by The Avons, "I'm Gonna Catch You" by Curtis Carrington, "Madisonville USA (parts 1 & 2)" by The Strolls, "Juicy Fruit" by Rudy Greene, "Fine Little Girl" by The Arcades, "Ice Cream Baby" by The Pearls, "Air Raid" by Curley Hammer, "Mama Don't Allow" by Tyron Rowe, and "Korea Korea" by Bob Kent. CD

A fantastic overview of the later genius of Sister Rosetta Tharpe – a key figure in the development of rock, soul, and a number of other styles from that key midcentury moment in American music! Tharpe's a singer with a voice that influenced Aretha Franklin and other female soul artists – and a guitarist with a fast-riffing style that was born in gospel, but had a huge influence on rock and roll – as you'll hear here in a really well-chosen batch of cuts from the second half of her career! The package features two titles from 40s radio broadcasts, but all the rest of the material is from the years 1957 to 1971 – half with Rosetta in front of a larger ensemble, half with just the singer and her guitar. There's a bit less in the way of notes than we'd like, but it appears that much of the solo material is from her live set of 1970 – leaving a mix of other material along the group side of the collection. 30 tracks in all – with titles that include "Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down", "Mansions In The Sky", "Didn't It Rain", "Rock Daniel", "Shout Sister Shout", "This Train", "Precious Moment", "Up Above My Head I Hear Music", "Peace In The Valley", "Is Everyone Happy", and "Vacation In The Sky". CD

A double-header from Bukka White – a set that features his 1963 album for Takoma Records, plus a rare German concert from the 70s! CD1 features the record Mississippi Blues – gruff and deep down beautiful Mississippi Blues from Bukka White – released on John Fahey's Takoma label at the end of the 60s and featuring rawly rollicking, shaky voice intensity and that heat producing bottleneck guitar! It's wonderful stuff, certainly a high water mark for the late 60s records to appear after the folk revival. Includes "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Parchment Farm Blues", "Poor Boy Long Ways From Home", "Drunk Man Blues" (on piano), "Army Blues" and more. This CD edition includes 3 bonus tracks recorded in 1964 and released by Takoma on other records: "World Boogie", "Midnight Blue" and "Old Man Walking Blues". CD2 features a great live set, recorded in Bremen, Germany just two years before Bukka White passed on – but done in a raw, gritty style that still has the singer very much at the top of his game! Instrumentation is just White's rough rhythms on guitar – and the show features 11 titles that include "Aberdeen Blues", "Black Rat", "Way Out In The West", "Big Boat Up The River", "Stuttart Arkansas", "Mama Don't Allow", and "Poor Boy Long Way From Home". CD

A tremendous tribute to the genius of Allen Toussaint – the man who almost single-handedly shaped the sound of New Orleans soul in the 60s! As the title implies, Toussaint is featured here as an artist, producer, and songwriter – and most tracks were issued on his Sansu Records label, and recorded in his Sea Saint studios – a spot that was as important to New Orleans as Chess was to Chicago, and Stax was to Memphis! The singers vary here, but the songs and instrumentation have a very unified vibe – plenty of Nola funk at the bottom, and some killer lyrics that often have a lot of sharpness and wit. Tracks include "So Good" by Ernie K Doe, "Sneakin Sally From The Alley" by Lee Dorsey, "Hercules" by Aaron Neville, "Gone Gone Gone" by Eldridge Holmes, "Don't Pity Me" by Curly Moore, "Bad Luck" by Betty Harris, "All I Want Is You" by Zilla Mayes, "Wheel Of Fire" by Etta Jones, "If You Love Her" by Benny Spellman, "Omar Khayyam" by The Rubiyats, "Here Come The Girls" by Ernie K Doe, "How To Pick A Winner" by Maurice Williams, "Star Revue" by Warren Lee, "Greatest Love" by Willie West, "The Book" by Eldridge Holmes, "Wait A Minute Baby" by Diamond Joe, and "We Are The People" and "Working In A Coal Mine" by Toussaint himself. CD