Rollicking country-tinged blues from Jimmy Reed and an incredible group of backing musicians – actually not captured in the opulent grandeur of Carnegie Hall – and probably all the better for it! Prior to the original double LP release of Jimmy Reed At Carnegie Hall, Reed headlined a Blues At Carnegie Hall event, and though the performance was not recorded for a live album release he went on the cut a similar set list with varying players that included Lonnie Brooks, Phil Upchurch and Eddie Tayor on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, Earl Phillips and Albert King on tracks. It's really wonderful stuff, obvious epiphany material for loads of rockers and young players on both the US and British blues scenes to come! 23 tracks in all: "Bright Lights Big City", "I'm Mr Luck", "Found Joy", "Kind Of Lonesome", "Tell Me You Love Me", "Hold Me Close", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Blue Blue Water", "Hush Hush", "Found Love", "Honest I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Boogie In The Dark", "Take Out Some Insurance", "The Sun Is Shining" and lots more! CD

A rare TK Records effort from James Brown – very much in the best uptempo funk mode of the later Polydor years! The groove here is quite similar to those better-known efforts – grooves that are a bit quicker than a few years before, but still played in a core JB funky style – live and lively, with plenty of emphasis on the rhythms! Brown often referred to his style here as disco, but it's a lot more like some of the P-Funk progressions of the period – a mode that's more polished than a grittier funky generation, yet far from smooth club or disco overall. There's plenty of choppy little groovers that make the record great – and titles include the long cut "Rapp Payback", plus "Funky Men", "Smokin & Drinkin", "Stay With Me", and "Mashed Potatoes". CD

A great little set that really looks at the wide range of sounds handled by Miami's TK Records powerhouse in the 70s – a label that's famous for its big disco hits, but which also had a lot more to offer, too! There's definitely some clubby cuts on the collection, but most of those are nicely past the TK hits of the time – and interspersed here with other numbers that shows the label's great commitment to deep soul, where they were flying the flag strongly after labels like Atlantic or Stax had dropped the ball. There's also some surprisingly smooth, sophisticated cuts – showing the modern soul shift the label was making – and which no doubt would have suited them very strongly into the 80s, had they kept up their 70s steam. Titles include "Secret Lover" by Paulette Reeves, "Ebony Affair" by Timmy Thomas, "That's What I Get" by Beginning Of The End, "Fly" by The Stylistics, "What Do We Do About Our Love" by Leon Debouse, "Can't Do Without You" by Eddie Horan, "Somebody's Gettin It" by Ted Taylor, "That Woman" by Wilson Pickett, "Tonight Is The Night" by Betty Wright, "Put Pride Aside" by Latimore, "People Fall In Love" by Foxy, and "Tired Of Hiding" by Jackie Moore. CD

There may be a mountain of Stan Getz records on the market – but take it from us, this is definitely one that you need in your collection! The set presents material from a never-issued live recording – Stan on sublime, soulful tenor at the Keystone Korner in 1976 – working with a quartet that includes Joanne Brackeen on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all ultra-hip players who set Stan up at a level that rivals the openly creative genius of studio albums like Sweet Rain or Captain Marvel, but with that special sort of snapshot that also marks his rare live material with Gary Burton too! The tracks were cut during the same week that produced the Getz/Gilberto 76 album, but the sound here is very different – not bossa, all jazz, and with that really inspired sense of soloing that Stan hit once he discovered Coltrane and the influence of that generation. Wonderful all the way through – with titles that include "Infant Eyes", "Summer Night", "Peace", "Con Alma", "Morning Star", and "The Cry Of The Wild Goose". CD

A stellar collection of work from the legendary Brunswick Records – put together with the special vibe of the Free Soul series! The tunes here are upbeat and soaring – not club or disco, but earlier soul numbers that sparkle with this sort of positive energy – a vibe that's very much the best side of the Brunswick Records approach of the late 60s and early 70s – as the imprint picked up Chicago soul, and gave it a whole new sort of groove! Yet not all this work is Chicago-based, despite the title – and the set's got a really nice range of Brunswick cuts that includes 'We Need Love" by The Directions, "Loveland" by The Lost Generation, "Broken Home" by Ben Monroe, "It Only Happens When I Look At You" by Jackie Wilson, "When Temptation Comes" by The Chi-Lites, "Following You" by Dana Valery, "Here Is A Heart" by Ginji James, "I Always Wanted To Be In The Band" by Step By Step, and "Love The One You're With" by Herman. 24 tracks – and over 80 minutes of music! CD

A stunning, funny, and truly great collection of ultra-rare female tracks from the mid 50s – lots of honky tonk and rockabilly stompers – cut for labels like Fraternity, King, Sandy, and even Sun Records, all pulled together in one wonderfully-themed collection! You'll probably never see this primordial, sludgy early rock and underground country next to those great early Wanda Jackson albums in the bins – but these tracks are all cut from the same cloth, and emote the same pith and vinegar, if not the same innate ability to let loose with sheer early rock power! Great stuff – dug from even deeper reservoirs than the Nuggets compilers dare to look – and the set list will show you that there's plenty to discover in the early years of female rock and roll. Tracks include "Skull & Crossbones", "Killer" and "Tiger" by Sparkle Moore, "Everlasting Love" by Barbara Pittman, "Ten Cats Down" by the Miller Sisters, "Dirty Dishes" by Jeani Mack, "I'm Leaving" by Linda Brannon, "Wille Joe" by the Mystery Trio, "Sugar Baby" by Helen Bozeman, "Three Young Chicks" by the Star Sisters. CD

The funky side of Hi Records – music that goes way past the mellow burning soul you might normally know from the label – served up here in a wealth of rare singles from the Memphis powerhouse of soul! Hi had a lot more going on in the 70s than just the big hits and classic albums that most people know – and the cuts here show a version of the label that was working every bit as hard as Stax to come up with fresh grooves and unusual ways of mixing southern soul and funk for the new generation! The set list is huge – 25 numbers, many of which should be pretty fresh to your ears – and titles include "Sweet Thing" by Willie Walker, "Slidin In & Out" by The Memphians, "Got To Find My Baby" by James Gadson, "Fried Chicken" by Rufus Thomas, "Everybody Got Soul" by Gene Miller, "Disco Hustle" by Heinsight, "If You Can't Please Your Woman" by Tuxedo, "Love Map" by Lyndon, "You Made Me What I Am" by Erma Coffee, and "Patricia" by George Jackson. CD

Japanese anthology with tracks from both Coltrane's Prestige and Impulse albums. Titles include "Soultrane", "My One And Only Love", "Violets For Your Furs", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Stardust", "Impressions", and "Like Someone In Love". CD

Remixes and extended tracks galore – and a wonderful package that really opens up the world of the gay club scene in the post-disco years! The tracks are a great array of dance, import, and high energy tracks – some of which carry forward disco energy into the 80s, others of which open up with modes that echo some of the changes in soul via house, electro, and other new styles of the decade – including the big role of the remixer, as many of these numbers are special remixes for the dancefloors! The package is a 7" square book-styled set, with pages of notes, images, and track details by Paul Burston – and the set features 54 long numbers in all – with titles that include "Love Reaction (12" version)" by Divine, "High Energy (ext)" by Evelyn Thomas, "I Like You (ext)" by Phyllis Nelson, "Another Night (dance mix)" by Aretha Franklin, "They Say It's Gonna Rain (Zulu mix)" by Hazel Dean, "Jump (12" long version)" by The Pointer Sisters, "Give Me Your Love (Ultimix)" by Sisley Ferre, "So Many Men So Little Time (ext)" by Miguel Brown, "Male Stripper (ext US rmx)" by Man 2 Man Meet Man Parrish, "No GDM (12" version)" by Gina X Performance, "Memorabilia (non stop ecstatic dancing version)" by Soft Cell, "Why (12" version)" by Bronski Beat, "Relax (New York mix)" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, "Don't Drop Bombs (ext)" by Liza Minelli, "Love In The First Degree (jailers mix)" by Bananarama, "In Private (12" version)" by Dusty Springfield, "Someday (club)" by Cece Rogers, "Break 4 Love (drop the panties)" by Raze, "Touch Me (sexual version)" by The 49-ers, "It's Over Now (Basement Boys mix)" by Ultra Nate, "Promised Land (club mix)" by Joe Smooth, "Wait (long version)" by Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle, and lots lots more! CD

A time-spanning compilation that mixes old and new disco tunes alike! The set begins with the more cosmic sound of 70s club – longer tracks with a strong keyboard groove and really expanded rhythms – and it links those cuts up with more modern ones that still hold onto the soul of the classics, while also stretching forth towards newer sounds. All this makes for a really great set – a timeless blend of tunes that really fit well together, presented in unmixed format for a super-long package of tracks! Titles include "Over & Over" by Sylvester, "Everybody Get Dancin" by The Bombers, "Reckless Girl" by The Beginerz, "Bad Habit (demo)" by ATFC presents Onephatdeeva, "I Feel Love (1977 original)" by Donna Summer, "Do What You Wanna Do" by T Connection, "I Will Follow You (full intention club)" by Una Mas, "There But For The Grace Of God Go I" by Machine, "Keep On Jumpin" by Musique, "You Can't Hide From Your Bud" by DJ Sneak, "Music Makes Me Happy (ATFC vocal)" by Tomy or Zox, "Dangerous Vibes (Spen & Kamizra deepah dub)" by Ferry Ultra with Roy Ayers, "Let's Get Horny" by Hi Voltage, "Too Much Love (Axwell voc)" by Michelle Wilson, and "Love Is Freedom" by Joey Negro vs Secret Sounds. 26 tracks in all. CD

A great entry in this always-killer collection of rare funk and soul – a series that somehow manages to keep on delivering ultra-rare nuggets, even at a time when there's been so many other compilations from so many other labels over the years! Our ears are always trained to appreciate the best of the best from the world of funky collections – and those ears are plenty pleased with the range of tracks here we'd never heard before – the kind of music that remind us to keep on digging, even when we think we've heard enough! Titles include "All Night" by Vantage Point, "I'm Feeling It Too" by Kim McCrae, "Steps On A Cloud" by Street Life 80, "Real True Voices" by Tory Wynter, "I'll Be Good To You" by Chatham, "Giving On Into Love" by Dalton Reed, "Getting Lucky" by Panama Gold, "Step By Step" by Matter Of Taste, "What Am I Going To Do Baby" by Royal Touch, and "Bi-Centennial 1976" by Frankie Staton & Speckled Rainbow. CD

A great look at the huge second wave of UK punk after the bigger labels were leaving the music behind at the end of the 70s – a bold surge of independent sounds from the underground, including a fair bit of work that was really pushing the boundaries of the music and its politics at the time! Some of these groups are strongly in the spirit of 1977, others are even more radical, and still others are maybe more rough around the edges with an agenda that's a bit hard to figure out – a bit like the way that the LA hardcore scene was changing at the time too. The package provides a huge amount of detail on the moment – a lavish book-style set with pages of notes on the groups and their music, and lots of great images too – all to support a whopping 117 tracks by the likes of Urban Dogs, Anthrax, Anti Pasti, Poison Girls, Cockney Rejects, The Toy Dolls, Blitz, The Ejected, Chelsea, Rudi, GBH, 4 Skins, Charge, Vice Squad, The Mob, UK Subs, Blitzkrieg, The Insane, Damned, Erazerhead, The Samples, Chaotic Dischord, The Adicts, Anti-Nowhere League, Angelic Upstarts, Rabid, Violators, Crash TV, Icons Of Filth, Ultra Violent, Omega Tribe, Subculture, Criminal Justice, and dozens of others! CD

2 overlooked 70s gems from Barry Harris – both of them trio dates based around famous jazz composers! First up are 8 tracks in which Barry Harris stretches out wonderfully in a set of compositions by Tadd Dameron – most of them familiar jazz standards from a few decades before, transformed magically by Harris in a hip 70s piano trio mode! The group here features Gene Taylor on bass and Leroy Williams on drums – both of whom work nicely with Barry's newly discovered sweetness at the time – an approach that's sometimes a bit warmer than his work in the 60s, and which helps make these tunes stand out in newly sensitive readings. Titles include "The Tadd Walk", "Lady Bird", "Casbah", "Our Delight", "Soultrane", "The Chase", and "Hot House". Next up are 5 more tracks penned by Thelonious Monk, and played by Harris with a trio that includes Bill Lee on bass and Leroy Williams on drums! Harris hits the right angular modes to make Monk's music come alive, but also warms them up with a bit more sensitivity too – slight colorings in his choice of tone, and an almost more personal feel on some of the numbers, even when taken at a fast clip. Titles include "Epistrophy", "In Walked Bud", "52nd Street Theme", and "Light Blue". CD also features a solo version of "Pannonica" from 1984, and a reading of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" from 1978 – recorded live in Montreux with Sam Jones on bass and Leroy Williams on drums. CD