A really wonderful post-Stax album from the great William Bell – a set that has the singer still stepping out with all those great deep soul modes from the 60s, but also finding a hipper, more laidback approach as well! There's a beautiful mellow vibe to the record – one that recalls some of Millie Jackson's best ballad work of the time, especially in the way it warms things up with a bit of class, while taking away none of the power of the vocals. Bell produced and arranged the whole set with help from Paul Mitchell – and there's still lots of nice down home themes and feelings to the record, but William's also working with a bubbling groove that comes off great – and which updates his sound without selling his soul – making for a great set in the modern/southern mode. Titles include "Tryin To Love Two", "If Sex Was All We Had", "Relax", "You Don't Miss Your Water", "Coming Back For More", "Just Another Way To Feel", and "I Absotively Posolutely Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collection of work from the legendary James Carr – a singer that those in the know place at the same level as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, or any of the deep soul greats of the 60s! Like Otis, James recorded heavily on the Memphis scene at the time – not for Stax or Atlantic, but for the smaller Goldwax label – who really hit magic with the sounds you'll hear on this set – a perfect blend of the richness of James' voice with the kind of slow-burning soul sounds that the scene was really hitting during its golden years! The songwriters alone here are enough to sell the set to any fan of classic southern soul – as tunes include contributions from Chips Moman, Dan Penn, Quinton Claunch, William Bell, and Spooner Oldham – writers who maybe never had a better interpreter of their work than Carr – who knocks it out of the park here on tunes that include "Dark End Of The Street", "You've Got My Mind Messed Up", "I'm A Fool For You", "A Lucky Loser", "Let's Face Facts", "Your Love Made A U Turn", "Freedom Train", "Pouring Water On A Drowning Man", "You Hurt So Good", "Love Attack", and "A Man Needs A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 28 tracks in all, including "I Cried A Tear" by LaVern Baker, "What'd I Say (parts 1 & 2)", 'Let The Good Times Roll" and "Just For A Thrill" by Ray Charles, "There Goes My Baby" and "This Magic Moment" by the Drifters, "Charlie Brown" and "Poison Ivy" by the Coasters, "Spanish Harlem", "Stand By Me" and "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" by Ben E King, "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas, "Just Out Of Reach" by Solomon Burke, "Last Night" by the Mar-Keys, "I'm Blue (The Gong Gong Song)" by the Ikettes, "You Don't miss Your Water" by William Bell, "I Found A Love" by the Falcons, and "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MG's. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark double LP collection of work from Stax Records – issued at the end of the 60s, after their split with Atlantic – and a real celebration of the new life that was coming to the label at the time! The range of work is really great, and the 28 track set moves easily from hits to more obscure numbers – in a mode that really shows the growing sound of Stax as the 70s approached. Classic! Titles include "Hot Hips" by The Bar-Kays, "Where Do I Go" by Carla Thomas, "I Like Everything About You" by Jimmy Hughes, "It's Me" by Judy Clay, "Booker's Theme" by Booker T & The MGs, "Heartaches Mountain" by Ollie & The Nightingales, "Soul Clap 69" by Booker T & The MGs, "These Old Memories" by The Mad Lads, "Private Number" by William Bell & Judy Clay, "Long Walk To DC" by Staple Singers, and "Copy Kat" by Bar-Kays. 28 tracks in all! LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant batch of funk soul tracks – deep deep tunes from the late 60s and early 70s – all hand-selected by the folks at soul-sides.com! The collection is the sort that trys to go way past the obvious – and although a few tracks are familiar, it does a great job of bringing together the music in a way that makes each track illuminate the next – setting themes, tones, and modes together with a subtle, but effective edge that really pays off. Some of the tracks have been on other reissues before, but compiler Oliver Wang is no stranger to the soul market these days – and he's gone out of his way to make sure the package has a strong payoff for both new listeners and older collectors alike! Titles include "Live & Let Live" by Jimmy Jones, "Morning Sunrise" by Weldon Irvine, "Masterpiece" by Clarence Reid, "Keep My Baby Warm" by Charles May & Annette May Thomas, "Time & Place" by Lee Moses, "No More Sad Songs" by Amanda Ambrose, "Jealous Guy" by Donny Hathaway, "Piece Of My Heart" by Erma Franklin, "Lovin You" by Johnny Guitar Watson, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, and "Ordinary Guy" by Joe Bataan. LP, Vinyl record album

Frederick Knight was to 70s Stax what William Bell was to the label in the 60s – a smooth, sweet sophisticated singer that was perfect at the southern ballad style. "I've Been Lonely" is one of his best tracks ever – and it's backed here by another number that's equally nice, and which is not the Bill Withers song of similar vintage! 7-inch, Vinyl record

With selections by The Tams, Joe Turner, The Temptations, Chairmen Of The Board, Mary Wells, William Bell & Judy Clay, Patty & The Emblems, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, The Impressions, Marvin Gaye, James & Bobby Purify, Archie Bell & The Drells, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning presentation of the legendary Wattstax concert – that huge moment of pride and power when the folks at Stax Records filled up the Los Angeles Coliseum with one of the most memorable shows of the 70s! The meeting of talents here is the stuff of legend – and this great package brings together the complete show in running order – really building up excitement as the concert progresses – with different acts each bringing their own sort of fire to the stage, culminating in a fantastic long finale by Isaac Hayes! The presentation is different than the two double albums that Stax issued back in the 70s – and this expanded package features a number of unreleased tracks in place of material the label later added – such as work from Richard Pryor and The Emotions. There's a whole instrumental section at the start, and more spoken links between some parts – and new material includes unissued work from Kim Weston, Freddie Robinson, Ernie Hines, Eric Mercury, Tommy Tate, Billy Eckstine, and Isaac Hayes – in addition to famous performances by The Soul Children, Jesse Jackson, Rufus Thomas, Albert King, Carla Thomas, William Bell, The Bar Kays, David Porter, The Temprees, Eddie Floyd, and David Porter – plus plenty more from Isaac Hayes too! Great package – with a full color book with new notes and essays, and plenty more too. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark pairing of two Chicago avant players at the start of the 80s – and one that shows that the city had plenty going on, even away from the AACM! The set brings together the older Hal Russell – still an underground secret in the city – and the younger Mars Williams, who was just starting out here, but would soon rise to fame in the NRG Ensemble, and on decades of other recordings and alliances in the Windy City. There's a mix of instrumentation that really shows the open-minded sense of improvisation that Russell helped encourage in the younger Generations – and Hal plays drums, C melody sax, cornet, vibes, toy horns, and "lots of other stuff" – with Mars Williams playing tenor sax, slide whistles, bells, newspapers, and "lots of other stuff" too! Titles include "Carnal Concupiscence", "Is This Virginia", "Odoriferous Flambeaus Of The Paranymphs", "Eftsoons", and "Noise Command Blast 1". LP, Vinyl record album

Important 70s work from Don Cherry – one of the first albums to bring his overseas experiments to a larger US audience! The set builds nicely off of styles that Don forged earlier in France and Scandinavia – a freer style of music than his work with Ornette Coleman, and a richly organic groove that builds up strongly from the bottom, often with elements of world music settled in alongside the jazz – but there's also some funkier moments here too, a bit like the Brown Rice album, but looser overall! The groups on most numbers are relatively large and spiritual – almost like Alice Coltrane at times, but a bit more electric and funky at others – and players include Collin Walcott on sitar, Michael Brecker on saxes, Cliff Carter on keyboards, Lenny White and Tony Williams on drums, Lois Colin on harp, and Raphael Cruz on percussion. Cherry himself plays conch shells, bells, and flute in addition to his usual trumpet – and he even sings a bit on a few numbers, in a soulful, scatting sort of groove. Narada Michael Walden produced, and the whole set's got a very righteous feel – with tracks that include "Universal Mother", "Buddah's Blues", "Eagle Eye", "Mahakali", "Karmapa Chenno", "Surrender Rose", and "Journey Of Milarepa". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more laidback albums from George Freeman's early 70s run – but still a great little set that shows the mellower side of his talents! Despite the sexy style of the cover, the sound here is relatively straight soul jazz – small combo work with Harold Mabern on acoustic piano, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Buddy Williams on drums – all in support of Freeman's snakey guitar lines over the gentle rhythms and slinky grooves. George's sound is slightly less tripped-out than on other records, but still has that undeniable Freeman tone – a raspy edge that's quite different than most of his contemporaries! Titles include "I Ain't Got Nobody", "You've Changed", "Groovy Lady", "Squeeze Me", and "Till There Was You". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of unusual female soul and pop from the 60s – a package that features rare singles, unreleased tracks, and other gems we never would have heard otherwise! Few folks know 60s music as well as the folks at Ace/Kent Records in the UK – which means that you can really trust them to serve up the best when it comes to a collection of girl group music – the sort of tracks that go way past the obvious, and really get at the fantastic range of sounds that were transforming the female side of the spectrum in the US! The package features 16 tracks in all, and spans a nice mix of artists and styles – with titles that include "Too bad He's Bad" by Beverly Williams, "Cupid's Got A Hold On Me" by The Belles, "Whirlwind" by The Rev-Lons, "First Love Baby" by Lena Calhoun & The Emotions, "So In Luv" by Othello Robertson, "You Are My First Love" by Pat Hunt, "I Need A Guy" by The Lovettes, "He's All Right With Me" by The Mirettes, "Mr Everything" by Little Eva Harris, "Sing Me A Love Song" by Felice Taylor, "Sir Galahad" by The Elites, "I Say Yeah" by The Pets, "Summertime Is Surfin Time" by The Surf Bunnies, and "It's Better To Live Or Die" by Mary Saxton. LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing performance from Billy Bang – cut during some of his most creative years on the New York loft jazz scene, at a time when Bang was carving out a rich new space for his instrument in jazz – and helping move forward a very creative generation of musicians as well! The lineup here includes Bilal Abdur Rahman on tenor and soprano sax, William Parker on bass, Rashid Bakr on drums – along with Bang's violin, bells, shaker, and percussion. But almost even more compelling are a few spoken passages from Billy – extremely proud, righteous words, spoken with assurance that really sends them home – and which helps the album stand out strongly in the genre of jazz and spoken word. Not all tracks feature spoken bits, but when they appear, they're great – and titles include "Ganges/Enchantment/Tapestry" and "Black Man's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Important 70s work from Don Cherry – one of the first albums to bring his overseas experiments to a larger US audience! The set builds nicely off of styles that Don forged earlier in France and Scandinavia – a freer style of music than his work with Ornette Coleman, and a richly organic groove that builds up strongly from the bottom, often with elements of world music settled in alongside the jazz – but there's also some funkier moments here too, a bit like the Brown Rice album, but looser overall! The groups on most numbers are relatively large and spiritual – almost like Alice Coltrane at times, but a bit more electric and funky at others – and players include Collin Walcott on sitar, Michael Brecker on saxes, Cliff Carter on keyboards, Lenny White and Tony Williams on drums, Lois Colin on harp, and Raphael Cruz on percussion. Cherry himself plays conch shells, bells, and flute in addition to his usual trumpet – and he even sings a bit on a few numbers, in a soulful, scatting sort of groove. Narada Michael Walden produced, and the whole set's got a very righteous feel – with tracks that include "Universal Mother", "Buddah's Blues", "Eagle Eye", "Mahakali", "Karmapa Chenno", "Surrender Rose", and "Journey Of Milarepa". LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sidemen include Al Casey, Cedric Wallace, Paul Campbell, Nathaniel Williams, and Al Morgan. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set of rare soul music – served up by the Cairo imprint of Mississippi Records – and done with a very similar approach to their other reissues of folk, blues, and world music! The set focuses in on rootsier sounds, especially from the 60s – with lots of deep soul gems from both big names and some more obscure artists – all packaged with a detailed booklet of notes, in the best Mississippi style! The style is almost as if Folkway Records put together their own soul collection, but with work from other labels – and titles include "In My Heart" by Barbara & The Browns, "Tired Of Being Your Fool" by Nelson Sanders, "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas, "Since You've Been Gone" by The Falcons, "Can't Stay Away (parts 1 & 2)" by Slim & Ann, "Don't Ever Leave Me" by Bob & Earl, "Go Now" by Bessie Banks, "I Keep Forgetting You Don't Love Me No More" by The Thornton Sisters, "Don't Mistreat Me" by The Queenettes, "Let Me Down Easy" by Betta LaVette, "Life Is Too Short" by Benny Spellman, "Lament" by Mamie Perry, "I'm Missing You" by Loretta Williams, and "Everybody Knows" by OV Wright. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Texas Alexander, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Cannon's Jug Stompers, Robert Johnson, Speckled Red, Victoria Spivey, Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Brownie McGhee, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Elmore James. LP, Vinyl record album

There have been lots of Lowrider soul compilations on the market over the years – documenting the great of of mellow cuts on the LA scene of the 60s – particularly the kind that could move slow, but with a heavy groove at the bottom – perfect for chilling out in the back of a car on an endless summer night! Yet few have ever done the job as well as this collection – because in the hands of Ace/Kent Records, the music finally gets proper historical context – moved past the jargon of the East LA in crowd, and presented with great sound, and the kind of detailed notes that really get at the special qualities that made the west coast soul scene so different than the east in the 60s! The set list is superb – fantastic mellow soul tracks that are perfect, even if you don't care about this history – and the set features 14 titles that include "Someone" by The Lovers, "Here It Comes" by The Persians, "That's The Way Our Love Is" by The Radiations, "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas, "No Doubt About It" by The Esquires, "What Am I Going To Do" by the Houston Outlaws, "So Much In Love" by The Exceptions, "Please Say It Isn't So" by Lee Williams & The Cymbals, "Somebody Please" by The Vanguards, "Someone" by The Lovers, "Follow Your Heart" by The Manhattans, and "Settle Down" by Little Ben & The Cheers. LP, Vinyl record album