A rare Decca album lead by the smoky vocals of Beverly Kenney – a really unique late 50s/early 60s jazz girl who once worked for the Dorsey brothers, the Count Basie Orchestra and others, and only ever cut a handful of albums under her own name! Sings for Playboys is an intimate, sultry batch of tunes that have a really unique feel thanks to the super spare accompaniment of just Ellis Larkins on piano and Joe Benjamin on bass. That approach does a great job of transforming your senses to the smoky, boozy after hours cabaret that must have been in mind when the recordings were conceived. The album only ever appeared briefly in the late 50s (possibly because of the unauthorized and quite obvious reference to Playboy Magazine in the title and in the cover photo) but it's sure great to see it reappear – they didn't make a lot records like this in the big band dominated recordings of the era! 12 tracks including "Do It Again", "A Woman's Intuition", "Mama, Do I Gotta?", "A Lover Like You", "A Summer Romance", "It's Magic", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great Columbia Records set from the mighty Lee Michaels – still going strong after an amazing run of albums on A&M, but with a vibe that's maybe a bit more underground overall! Lee's still a hell of a songwriter, but he's also got an approach that's maybe slightly muted – almost as if he's done trying for charming stardom, but more than happy enough to revel in his own skills as a singer! There's a nicely relaxed vibe to the record, and clearly Columbia was more than happy to let Lee do his own thing, his own way – which he does beautifully on tunes that include "So Hard", "Olson Arrives At Two Fifty Five", "Your Breath Is Bleeding", "Went Saw Mama", "Bell", and "The Other Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Charlie Parker in a Latin mode – one of those ideas that shouldn't work that well, but does – and went on to influence a whole generation in jazz! Parker's alto and Latin rhythms are an amazing combination – rhythms that move even more frenetically than regular bop modes – and a horn that simply soars over the top, driven on by their inspiration – and hitting these grooves that few later Latin jazz musicians could ever hope to touch! Much of the material here is in a small group mode – in contrast to the fuller charts on some other Parker cubop recordings from the time – with players who include Walter Bishop on piano and a young Kenny Dorham on trumpet. Titles include "Mama Inez", "Estrellita", "Tico Tico", "Fiesta", and "Un Poquito De Tu Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

Mr Personality turns his incredible set of pipes on a batch of pop standards, made up by Lloyd into his own uniquely styled numbers. He recruits Slide Hampton to handle the arrangements, played by his group with just a touch of R&B grit. Includes "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "When I Fall In love", "Trouble", "That Lucky Old Sun", 'Misty", "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You", "Tennessee Waltz", "Pistol Packin' Mama" and "Cry On". LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of a famous 70s TV special from Diana Ross – and a record that also features excellent guest work from Bill Cosby and The Jackson 5 – as well as an odd Motown appearance from Danny Thomas! Ross dominates the set, working with sublime larger arrangements that really showcase her growing power as a solo star – on titles that include "Close To You", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "I Love You", "Remember Me", and "Don't Rain On My Parade". And Bill Cosby steps in for a bit of dialogue with Ross – as they talk together, then lead into a surprising duet on Randy Newman's "Love Story"! The Jackson 5 serve up two nice medley tracks – "I'll Be There/Feelin Alright" and "Mama's Pearl/Walk On By/The Love You Save" – and Danny Thomas does a bit of comedy, but doesn't sing – thankfully. LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded in Chicago at PS Studios – with a small combo that includes Snooky Pryor, Eddie Taylor, Willie Smith, and Dave Myers! Titles include "13 Highway", "I Ain't Doin No Good", "Sugar Mama", "Little & Low", "In Love", and "Fayette County Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of indie blues from the Chicago scene – featuring some great players from the second generation after Chess Records stopped picking up the younger local talents! Magic Sam leads the group on vocals and guitar, and he's working here with Mighty Joe Young on guitar, Odie Payne on drums, and Mack Thompson on bass – all to craft a set of rough and ready blues tunes that would have played well on both sides of the tracks at the time. Titles include "That's All I Need", "All Of Your Love", "I Don't Want No Woman", "Mama Mama Talk To Your Daughter", and "Lookin Good", a nice instrumental! LP, Vinyl record album

A posthumous collection of work from Freddie King – material recorded in a variety of different sources, but all of it with Freddie's well-honed guitar sound in the lead! Some tracks were done down at Criteria Studios in Miami, and have a warmly southern sort of glow – others were done in the UK with Mike Vernon with a bit more of a rockish feel, and a few more were done for radio, with a slightly rougher edge than the rest. Titles include "Pack It Up", "Shake Your Bootie", "Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do", "Woman Across The Bridge", "Sweet Home Chicago", "Sugar Sweet", "TV Mama", "Gambling Woman Blues", and "Farther Up The Road." LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of Chess Records work by JB Lenoir – one of the more unusual singers on the Chicago scene at the time – and one with a sound that's pretty darn great all the way through! Lenoir's tone is a pitch or two up from most of his contemporaries – not as gritty and deep, and with inflections that almost point the way towards soul singers in the generation to come. Yet the backings are definitely in the best Windy City modes of the time – as Lenoir plays some great electric guitar, alongside Alex Atkins on alto, Ernest Cotton on tenor, Joe Montgomery on piano, and Willie Dixon on bass. The set mixes vintage singles with a few unreleased tracks – and titles include "Natural Man", "Don't Dog Your Woman", "Don't Touch My Head", "Five Years", "Mama What About Your Daughter", "Korea Blues", "Let Me Die With The One I Love", "I'm In Korea", and "Carrie Lee". LP, Vinyl record album

The first ever recordings of Mississippi Fred McDowell – the legendary Alan Lomax Recordings – recorded in Como, Mississippi in September of 1959! It includes songs that would be part of his canon for the rest of his career, mostly just his voice and guitar in raw, beautiful, soul-shaking form. He's got some vocal accompaniment "When The Train Comes Along", plus Fanny Davis on the comb on a couple tunes and a second guitar by Miles Pratcher on a few. Perfection! Includes "Shake 'Em On Down", "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning", "Drop Down Mama", "Going Down The River", "Worried Mind Blues", "When The Train Comes Along" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Bubblegum glam badassery from Suzi Quatro – her namesake and possibly best album – leading off with the killer "48 Crash" and barely letting up from there! Punchy, arse kicking and catchy rock & roll from a real 70s pioneer! It's a ridiculous shame that on our shores, Suzi is better remembered for Happy Days than this damned record! Other tracks include "Glycerine Queen", "Shine My Machine", "I Wanna Be Your Superman", "All Shook Up", "Skin Tight Skin", "Get Back Mama", "Shakin All Over" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A stone cold smoker from the Chicago scene of the 50s – the kind of record we're proud to say came from our hometown! The album brings together the best of some of the under-recognized players in the Windy City at the time – including bassist Wilbur Ware, alto saxophonist John Jenkins, pianist Junior Mance, and a young Johnny Griffin – really tearing up the set on tenor! There's a groove here that's modern, yet soulful – fresh, clear, and very concisely blown – with a number of different musical strands all tied together tightly, and handled by the players with a sharpness that few groups today could hope to match. Titles include the legendary "Mama Daddy", plus "Desert Sands", "Be-Ware", "31st & State", and "Latin Quarters". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the folk festival you might expect – especially given that the blues here are electric – and a set that was recorded at a small Chicago club, not some stuffy outdoor concert on the east coast! The album's an early powerhouse meeting of the best Chess blues talents at the time – a date that features Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Howlin Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Willie Dixon in varying settings – mostly getting center spotlight as a solo act with the same backing combo, but also coming together as well at one point too. The whole thing's great – a gritty live record of electric Chicago blues in the 60s – with a strong sense of liveness that really recreates the small club feel! Titles include "Wee Wee Baby", "Sitting & Thinking", "Worried Blues", "Sugar Mama", "Bring It On Home", "Got My Mojo Working", "May I Have A Talk With You", and "19 Years Old". LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible mid 60s album from blues singer and harp blower Junior Wells and his Chicago Blues Band with Buddy Guy! This is a most pivotal set in which Junior & his players don't sound as if they're trying to imbue blues tradition with urban grit and electricity – it simply seems to happen naturally, and you can really imagine when you hear this how it blue the minds of so many Brit and American rock & blues fellows who would come the recast the style with their own life and experiences, and pretty much take over popular music with it. Titles include "Snatch It Back & Hold It", "In The Wee Wee Hours", "Hey Lawdy Mama", "Hoodoo Man Blues", "Yonder Wall", and "Chitlin Con Carne". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Thanks A Million", "Lyin To Myself", "Ev'ntide", "Swing That Music", "Thankful", "The Skeleton In The Closet", "Jubilee", "Struttin' With Some Barbecue", "I Double Dare You", "It's Wonderful", "You're A Lucky Guy", "Everything's Been Done Before", "Hey Lawdy Mama", and "Grooving". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most comprehensive collections of work we've ever seen on Eddie Bo – a really well-done set that finally gets at the full range of his massive funky talents – including a host of rare singles done for a variety of other artists as well! Despite the dates in the title, most of the music here is from the 60s and 70s – music from those glorious years of New Orleans soul and funk – when it seemed like the Crescent City groove could never stop, thanks to the efforts of Eddie and some of his contemporaries! There's a massively heavy groove to most of the numbers here – an emphasis on the funkiest side of Eddie Bo's sound, especially when he's working in the studio with other singers in the lead – and even if you've got some other Eddie Bo reissues in your collection, there's plenty fresh stuff here that makes this one well worth owning. LP notes are great too – a full history of Eddie's long career and all its different chapters. 30 tracks in all – including "Funky Yeah" and "Shelly's Rubber Band" by Curley Moore & The Cool Ones, "What's Good To You (part 1)" and "The La La Man (part 1)" by Oliver Morgan, "Horse With A Freeze (part 1)" by Roy Ward, "Timber (parts 1 & 2)" by Candy Phillips, "Can I Be Your Main Squeeze" by Chuck Carbo, "I'm A Carpenter (part 1)" by David Robinson, "Garden Of Our Trees" by The Explosions, "Reborn" by Marilyn Barbarin, "Live It Up" by James K-Nine, "Mama Here Comes The Preacher" by Doug Anderson, ""Something You Got" by Barbara George" – and the tracks "Chained", "When The Fingers On The Funk", "Rubber Band", "Getting To The Middle", "Check Your Bucket", "Lover & Friend", "Can You Handle It", "Fallin In Love Again", "Gotta Have More", and "We Like Mambo" all by Eddie Bo. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of smooth soul from Carl Carlton – a richly talented singer who began his career as a kid in the 60s, but who's working here in a sophisticated adult mode with production by Leon Haywood. The album kind of takes Haywood's best styles of the mid 70s and updates them to match Carlton's great voice. Haywood wrote all the best material on the album, and it's actually surprising that he didn't save some of the cuts for himself – especially when you consider that the record features the classic groover "She's A Bad Mama Jama", which was a pivotal dancefloor track in the post-disco years, plus the excellent stepper "This Feeling's Rated X-Tra". Other tracks include "I Think It's Gonna Be Alright", "Sexy Lady", "Don't You Wanna Make Love", and "Fighting In The Name Of Love". Great vocals, great production, and a perfect blend of all the right elements make the album a modern soul treat! LP, Vinyl record album

This one has the Chambers working in a number of styles, sweating hard in a gritty version of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and to some funky percussion and call-and-response vocals on "Do Your Thing", and grooving softly on "Guess Who" and others. Other tracks include Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "Love Is All I Have", "You Have The Power - To Turn Me On", "Rock Me Mama", and "Satisfy You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest albums ever from The Chambers Brothers – a set that helped them cross over big into the mainstream – shaking off their previous folksy roots with a rumbling approach to psychedelic soul! The record's got a much heavier groove than any of the group's previous work – a way of hitting a track that still holds onto their gospel-influenced roots, but which also brings in plenty of the fuzzier, funkier touches that were sparking in soul music during the late 60s – especially over at Columbia Records, where their labelmate Sly Stone was capturing a big audience with a very similar sound. The record features the full-length version of the group's massive "Time Has Come Today", an excellent psychedelic soul number that's been lifted for movies and TV shows more times than we can count – and other tracks include "People Get Ready", "Please Don't Leave Me", "In The Midnight Hour", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "All Strung Out Over You", "I Can't Stand It", "So Tired", and "Uptown". "A New Time, A New Day" has the Chambers working in a number of styles, sweating hard in a gritty version of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and to some funky percussion and call-and-response vocals on "Do Your Thing", and grooving softly on "Guess Who" and others. Other tracks include Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "Love Is All I Have", "You Have The Power - To Turn Me On", "Rock Me Mama", and "Satisfy You". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album from Elizabeth Cotten – not just a backwoods lady with a guitar, but a self-taught player with a completely unique style that went on to shape generations of musicians in the 60s! This 1958 Folkways album was the first to bring Cotten's talents to a wider audience – and soon resulted in much greater attention, and even visits to her home by fans and legendary followers – which makes the whole thing almost a touchstone of acoustic music in the postwar years! Yet despite any later acclaim, the record's got a quality that grabs you right at the core – music that needs no introduction at all, and which has the same earthy power of early John Fahey recordings, and a similar individual sensibility. Elizabeth plays both guitar and banjo, and sings just a bit – on titles that include "Freight Train", "Vastopol", "I Ain't Got No Honey Baby Now", "Going Down The Road Feeling Bad", "Run Run/Mama Your Son Done Gone", "Spanish Flang Dang", and "When I Get Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal record from Lou Donaldson – one that has him forging out some of his first funky soul jazz sounds, moving from his bop roots, and working with a hip young group that includes Grant Green and John Patton, both of whom he discovered and brought to Blue Note (thanks Lou!) The tracks have a tight jaunty feel – very much like those on Patton's mid 60s sides for Blue Note, with lots of room for each player to solo intently – but still a strong focus on the overall groove of the ensemble. Cover's very nice – and tracks include "Funky Mama", "Spaceman Twist", and "Nice n Greasy". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime country rock and superb vocals from the Everly Brothers – an album as close to our hearts as the much more hipster-celebrated work of the era by Gram Parsons, the Byrds and others! The Everlys grasped onto their significance throughout the 60s by hopping from trend to trend with little success – but they finally nailed it in 1968 with this effort. (Artistically, if not commercially.) The boys apply their staggering harmonies to country and country-ish material, adding their own unique spin to the tunes – and earnestly work in some montages of their family radio shows from the early 50s! It's easily their most endearing work of the 60s. Produced by Lenny Waronker with strings by Nick DeCaro. Includes wonderful versions of Jimmie Rodgers' "T For Texas", "Shady Grove", Randy Newman's "Illinois", Ray Price's "You Done Me Wrong", Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" and "Sing Me Back Home", plus "Ventura Boulvard" and "Turn Around" written by Ron Elliot of Beau Brummels. LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of nice ones from the Musicor years – including "Even The Bad Times Are Good", "I Can't Get Used To Being Lonely", "The Selfishness In Man", "The Sea Between Our Hearts", "What's Bad For You Is Good For Me", "Flowers For Mama", and "Gonan Take Me Away From You". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal bit of Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the early 70s – the second album from Malo, and an even harder-hitting jam session than the first! The group are really in top form here – taking off with Santana-inspired riffs that are filled with heavy percussion, soaring organ, and guitar from Carlos' brother Jorge – all matched by some incredible horn work from trumpeter Forrest Bachtel and a young Hadley Caliman – sounding especially great here before his solo years as a jazz artist! The legendary Francisco Aguabella is on conga, and tracks include "Momolombo", "Oye Mama", "I'm For Real", "Midnight Thoughts", "Hela", and "Latin Bugaloo". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic transformation of the Oliver Nelson sound of the 60s – a large ensemble record that takes all the soul of his earlier groove, and reworks it with a more electric vibe for the 70s! Nelson's at the height of his powers here – working brilliantly as a leader and arranger, to open the door for strong sounds from younger players like Mike Wofford and Lonnie Liston Smith on keyboards, and the great Dennis Budimir on guitar! The record's unlike most of what you'll hear on Nelson's other albums – even his other Flying Dutchman work of the time – as it's got loads of wonderful keyboard moments, and even some moog and Arp as well. Titles include "Skull Session", "125th And 7th Ave", "Flight For Freedom", "Baja Bossa", and "Dumpy Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

Later issue of the first-ever proper full length album by Roy Orbison, recorded for Sun 1956, but not released until 1961! It's hard to imagine how rock and roll history might've been changed if this incredible record was release closer to the time of it's recordings, but it'll sound great forever! Includes "This Kind Of Love", "Devil Doll", "You're Gonna Cry", "I Never Knew", "Mean Little Mama", "Problem Child" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice collection of tracks from this classic girl group, and one that has some nice lesser-known cuts mixed in with the chart busters. 15 tracks in all, including "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Stop The Music", "Dedicated To The One I Love", "Everybody Loves A Lover", "What A Sweet Thing That Was", "Welcome Home Baby", "Baby It's You", "The Things I Want To Hear", "Soldier Boy" and "Mama Said". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think Sun Records here – think SSS International – as most of this work comes from the late 60s efforts of producer Shelby Singleton, whose soul labels were bought by Sam Phillips and folded into Sun International! There's lots of great Tennessee soul grooves here – most of them pretty rare – and titles include "Wait Until Tomorrow" by The United Notions, "All I Want Is You" by Betty Harris, "I Can't Be All Bad" by Johnny Adams, "How Much Can A Man Take" by Big John Hamilton, "You Better Get Gone Baby" by The Jesters, "Hanging Heavy In My Mind" by Doris Allen, "You See Me" by Robert Parker, "Mama's Baby" by Marilyn Haywood, and "There's A DJ In Your Town" by Samson & Delilah. LP, Vinyl record album

K-tel style compilation that was probably sold on TV, with a bunch of short versions of hot soul tunes that were making the rounds every Saturday afternoon on Soul Train. Nothing hard to find here, but a nice piece of the past, with 20 tracks in all, including George McCrae "Rock Your Baby", Isaac Hayes "Wonderful", Curtis Mayfield "Future Shock", The Spinners "I'll Be Around", The Staple Singers "I'll Take You There", The Soul Children "I'll Be The Other Woman", Kool & The Gang "Funky Stuff", The Moments "Sexy Mama", The Impressions "Finally Got Myself Together", The Natural Four "Can This Be Real" and Sylva "Pillow Talk", plus a bunch more. . . LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from this Texas trio – pulled from a time when they were still super-hip, and one of the freshest mainstream things to come from their scene! The mix of blues roots and psych influences here is wonderful – much rawer than in the group's later years, with a strong link in sonic intensity to the 60s Texas garage/psych scene – thanks to mindblowing work on guitar from the young Billy Gibbons! Titles include "Bar B Q", "Whiskey N Mama", "Francine", "Just Got Paid", "Ko Ko Blue", "Chevrolet", "Mushmouth Shoutin", and "Sure Got Cold After The Rain Fell". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from this powerhouse of the west coast R&B scene in the 50s – with titles that include the seminal "Oh Oh Get Out Of The Car" – plus "The Big Break", "Crazy Lover", "Rockin Man", "Mad About You", and "Yama Yama Pretty Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest albums of 60s girl group soul by the lovely Shirelles! Thankfully, the "trumpets & strings" in the title is a bit of a misnomer – hardly the brass and violin session you might expect, and more of a deeper soul set overall! The girls do a great job of mixing the rough with the smooth – usually by balancing a strong lead with supporting harmony vocals – and the production from Luther Dixon really keeps things fresh – often using just a bit of backings well behind the vocals, and keeping things far from the too-pop modes of other girl groups of the time. Titles include "Mama Said", "The First One", "What A Sweet Thing That Was", "Rainbow Valley", and "What's Mine Is Yours". LP, Vinyl record album

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Insanely wonderful doo-wop material from this legendary Chicago group – one of the few truly great full length albums in a mostly singles-dominated genre! The title track is well known not only for the original, but for a later famous sample by De La Soul – and it's a great example of the kind of grooves on the set – rough-hewn and gritty, much more in the best stripped-down doo wop mode, before production started getting too sweet. Titles include "At My Front Door", "Annie's Answer", "My Loving Baby", "Now That You've Gone", "Rock N Roll's For Me", "I Began To Realize", and "There In the Night" – and as an added bonus, the record actually features 2 more cuts by The Magnificents, another great Chicago group – "Up On the Mountain" and "Caddy Bo". LP, Vinyl record album

A cooler album than you might think – given that the whole thing was produced by Jerry Garcia – and the group features the legendary Don Reno on banjo and Chubby Wise on fiddle! LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully dark harmonies from The Mamas & The Papas – one of those amazing late 60s albums from the group that was pop on the outside, but something very else underneath – a wonderful blend of modes that was hardly duplicated this well again! There's a slightly spooky feel to some of the music – even their leadoff cover of "Dedicated To The One I Love", which has an eerie quality that's way different than any previous readings – possibly a hint of the trouble between the group members – although maybe that's reading too much into it! Whatever the case, though – there's a special magic here that goes way beyond any understanding of the group you may have from oldies radio, and the set features some great original compositions by the young John Phillips too. Titles include "Creeque Alley", "Boys & Girls Together", "Look Through My Window", "Sing For Your Supper", "Free Advice", "Did You Ever Want To Cry", and "String Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice selection of classic 60s soul numbers, focusing on women who like to exercise their pipes, and while we had remembered this set hewed close to the mainstream, there's a few nice little nuggets on here that they dug a little deeper for. 14 tracks in all: "The Nitty Gritty" by Shirley Ellis, "Tell Mama" by Etta James, "Hard To Handle" by Patti Drew, "Bold Soul Sister" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Lee Cross" and "You Send Me" by Aretha Franklin, "Heartbeat" by Gloria Jones, "Stay With Me" by Lorraine Ellison, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" by Barbara George, "Rescue Me" by Fontella Bass, "Hypnotized" by Linda Jones, "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" by the Sweet Inspirations, and "Ask Me" by Maxine Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album from the great Etta Jones – a session recorded down in Muscle Shoals, and not in Chicago – a setting that gives James an extra sort of deep soul power! The backing is nicely different than some of the other Chess material – killer work from the legendary Fame Studios lineup that included Barry Beckett on organ, Charles Chalmers on tenor, and Roger Hawkins on drums – all coming together with the great Rick Hall at the production helm! Etta's back in hard-belting R&B-tinged territory here – a bit more sophisticated than the 50s, with a good mix of hard soul numbers and ballads, opening up in some southern territory that really suits her well. Titles include "The Same Rope", "Watch Dog", "Tell Mama", "I'd Rather Go Blind", "Just A Little Bit", and "Don't Lose Your Good Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

With Red Callendar on bass, John "Ironman" Harris on drums, Dinky Morris on saxophones, Jimmie Noone on tenor and clarinet, Curtis Peagler on alto, Snooky Young on trumpet, and special guest Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis on tenor. Titles include "Big Fat Daddy", "Piney Brown", "Finance Company Blues", "How Long Blues", and "Reel Ya Deel Ya Dee Dee Dee". LP, Vinyl record album

Ah for the glory days of American International Pictures! This obscure film stars a very young Robert DeNiro and Bruce Dern, as well as Shelly Winters in the title role as Ma Barker! Despite Don Randi's roots in the hip LA instrumental scene, the music on this one is mostly in a 20s sort of style – rootsy, with early bluegrass and country styles, plus a bit of old-timey jazz. The music has a bit of a "Bonnie & Clyde" feel, and includes the tracks "Ma Barker & The Boys", "Miami Bound", and "Mother's Fudge". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from this famous singer who helped lay the groundwork for rock and roll in the early 50s – featuring arrangements by Rene Hall and Everett Minor, and titles that include "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Funky Broadway", "Ain't Nothin You Can Do", "Let's Go Get Stoned", "Rollin Stone", and "Ball & Chain". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest hits ever for Weather Report – thanks to Joe Zawinul's leadoff track "Birdland" – one of those tunes that entered the canon immediately, and saw countless covers pop up over the years – kind of a rare thing for a jazz tune at this point in time! The track's driving, building energy shows a newly focused side to Weather Report – one that's traded some of the spacier, more experimental moments of the past for a dynamic energy that still puts them ahead of most other 70s fusion supergroups. The presence of Jaco Pastorius is felt quite strongly here – especially on the way the colors ebb and flow up from the bottom – and the way that Jaco's using his bass with the energy of a solo jazz guitar! Alex Acuna and Manolo Badrena are on percussion, and Wayne Shorter's reeds still crackle with a nice degree of soul – on titles that include "Harlequin", "Rumba Mama", "A Remark You Made", "Teen Town", "Palladium", "Havona", and "The Juggler". LP, Vinyl record album

The standout classic from Junior Giscombe – one of the more unique soul artists of his generation! The set's probably best known for its huge hit single "Mama Used To Say" – a killer cut with an incredibly catchy hook, and a groove that's lasted for years on 80s groove dancefloors – but the whole album's pretty darn wonderful overall, with slight twists and turns that are quite different than other mainstream soul sets of its type. Junior did the record in collaboration with producer Bob Carter, who also plays a fair bit of keyboards on the set – bringing in an airy, open feel that matches Junior's vocals wonderfully – in a sound that's somewhat sweeter than other male soul of the early 80s, but never in a way that's too soft or sleepy. Titles include "Mama Used To Say", "Too Late", "I Can't Help It", "Let Me Know", "Down Down", "Love Dies", "I Can't Help It", and "Darling You (Don't You Know)". LP, Vinyl record album

A really nice album from Dave Mason & Mama Cass – one that has Dave's vocals mostly in the lead, but which also brings him much closer in style to Mama's sweet and dreamy pop mode – a lovely little psychedelic folk pop record with soulful touches! The backing is mostly by a small combo, and the feel is alternately laidback and soaring – freed from the hits sound of early 70s LA, when some of the more creative work was coming out of the bigger stars. Titles include "Pleasing You", "On & On", "To Be Free", "Here We Go Again", "Walk To The Point", "Glittering Facade", and "Too Much Truth Too Much Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Hank Williams – with titles that include "Too Many Parties & Too Many Pals", "I Dreamed About Mama Last Night", "Beyond The Sunset", "The Funeral", "Be Careful Of Stones You Throw", and "Pictures From Life's Other Side". LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown gets even better than before – working here in the setting of a blacksploitation soundtracks – which makes the album a doubly funky outing from the 70s! James is a master throughout – beating Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield at their own games – as he works with super-tight work from the JBs, plus a bit of vocals from Lyn Collins – all in a massive batch of tracks that further expand his funky palette! Unlike other blacksploitation soundtracks, which usually have one or two key funky tunes, this one's almost entirely overflowing with gems – including Lyn Collins on a version of "Mama Feelgood" that's worth the price of the record alone! The whole thing's great, though – and titles include the classic "Down & Out in New York City", plus "Blind Man Can See It", "Sportin' Life", "The Boss", "Dirty Harri", and "Chase". LP, Vinyl record album

Post "Mama" work from Cass Elliott – with tracks that include a great version of The Beach Boys' "Disney Girls" – plus "All In The Game", "I'll Be Home", "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", and "Baby I'm Yours". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A killer set – early RPM recordings of the great John Lee Hooker – nice and raw, and with all the hard-hitting quality of his best early work! Titles include "Driftin From Door To Door", "She Left Me On My Bended Knee", "Good Rockin Mama", "Let Your Daddy Ride", "Don't You Remember Me", and "Hug & Squeeze You". LP, Vinyl record album

The Jacksons' third album for Motown – and definitely one that has the quintet moving full steam ahead! There's a sense of perfection here right from the get-go – that really put-together quality the boys hit with their second album, thanks to great studio help from The Corporation and Hal Davis! Michael's vocals are beautiful, but so are the rest of the bros' – and titles include their sweet, sweet rendition of "I'll Be There", plus the groovy "Goin Back To Indiana", and other nice ones like "Mama's Pearl", "Darling Dear", "Can I See You In the Morning", and a tight version of "Ready Or Not (Here I Come)". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice collection of early 70's Gamble and Huff stuff, with a number of tracks that aren't too easy to find otherwise, like "Regina" by Bunny Sigler, "Stay With Me" by The Futures, "Super Groover" by Talk of the Town, "Slow Motion" by Johnny Williams, and "It's Forever" by The Ebonys – cuts that were more likely singles on the label. Also includes some more well known hits: O'Jays "Love Train", the Intruders "I'll Always Love My Mama", Billy Paul "Me & Mrs Jones", Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and MFSB "Family Affair", 10 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set – early RPM recordings of the great John Lee Hooker – nice and raw, and with all the hard-hitting quality of his best early work! Titles include "Driftin From Door To Door", "She Left Me On My Bended Knee", "Good Rockin Mama", "Let Your Daddy Ride", "Don't You Remember Me", and "Hug & Squeeze You". LP, Vinyl record album

Loads of 70s gems – including "Lonesome Onry & Mean", "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Luckenbach Texas", "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys", "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way", and "Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work by Laura Lee – a singer who's best known for her 70s hits on the Hot Wax label, but who sounds equally great here on her earlier sides for Chess! Lee's deep soul approach was a perfect match for Chess at the end of the 60s – and the work here often has her coming across with a hard and heavy approach that rivaled the best female soul coming out of Stax or Atlantic during the same era – no surprise, considering that most of the material here was recorded down in Muscle Shoals, far from the Chicago studios and sweeter production styles of most other artists on Chess! Rick Hall handled the Muscle Shoals material – in a real Fame Records mode – and other cuts were put together by Gene Barge and Cash McCall. The sound is great throughout – with a deeper soul groove than in her early 70s recordings, and vocal power that she hardly ever matched again! Titles include "Mama's Got A Good Thing", "That's How It Is", "Dirty Old Man", "She Don't Love You", "Another Man's Woman", "I Need to Belong To Someone", and "Love More Than Pride". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great album from Freda Payne – a set that moves strongly past her initial early hits for the Holland Dozier Holland team, into a realm that's even more sophisticated overall! There's a full approach here that's really wonderful – almost a higher-concept version of soul music, yet still with all the punch that Payne packed on her key singles from the first album! Strings and larger arrangements really round out the sound in a very unique way – but the whole thing's still plenty soulful all the way through, with a righteous undercurrent that definitely lives up to the HDH legacy – thanks to arrangements from McKinley Jackson and HB Barnum. Freda's vocals are wonderful – even more powerful than before – and titles include "I'm Not Getting Any Better", "The Road We Didn't Take", "Odds & Ends", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Mama's Gone", "Suddenly It's Yesterday", "You Brought The Joy", and "You've Got To Love Somebody (Let It Be Me)". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly compelling album from Michelle Phillips – recorded years after the breakup of The Mamas & The Papas – with a smooth late 70s LA sound that works perfectly for her more mature sexy approach! Jack Nitzsche handled the production and arrangements on most of it, and the album's got more of an edge than you might think from first look or listen – slightly self-reflexive, and less a comeback attempt than an expression of identity finally put on record. Wonderful! Titles include "Aching Kind", "Trashy Rumors", "Let The Music Begin", "Victim Of Romance", "Where's Mine", "Just One Look", "Paid The Price", "Lady Of Fantasy" (the lone track here produced & arranged by John Phillips) and more LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "No Money Down", "Mama's Got A Lover", "Tell It To Your Heart", "Don't Hurt A Woman", "Outside", "Mistrial", "Video Violence", and "The Original Wrapper". LP, Vinyl record album

A real turning point for Rod Stewart – but a record that still holds onto all the wonderful sides of his work with the Faces, too! Includes the sublime "Mandolin Wind" – plus "Every Picture Tells A Story", "That's All Right Mama", "Reason To Believe", "Losing You", and "Maggie May". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great debut from Sweetwater – described on the cover as "Eight high-octane musicians who met and jammed in the great peanut butter octopus that is Los Angeles!" The record's got a really trippy approach that's partially folk rock, partially psychedelic soul, and which also has some great touches of groovy harmony pop and Latinized LA rhythms – all wrapped up in some totally great production overall! The whole thing skims and sings around like some of our favorite sunshiney pop from the time – almost a meeting of Triste Janeiro and Mamas & The Papas – with some great instrumental touches that include cello and electric harpsichord! Female lead vocals on most tracks, but the album also spins out nicely, so that you get plenty of instrumental passages too! Titles include "Why Oh Why", "Motherless Child", "Here We Go Again", "For Pete's Sake", "What's Wrong", "Come Take A Walk", and "In A Rainbow". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best solo records to come out of the wake of The Mamas & The Papas – a folksy effort from Denny Doherty, touched with elements of A&M country, in kind of an LA outlaw mode. Titles include "Hey Good Looking", "Watcha Gonna Do", "Neighbors", "Got A Feeling", "Don't You Be Fooled", and "Gathering The Words". LP, Vinyl record album

Really cool work from the duo of David Teegarden and Skip "Van Winkle" Knape – a pair who work here with just drums from one member, organ from the other – and some mighty nice harmonized vocals! The approach is almost like a Fillmore crowd take on the modes of Sam & Dave – nicely stripped-down and surprisingly soulful, without any other instrumentation in the mix at all – save for the bass pedals of the organ, which help enforce a nice groove with the drums! The album was originally issued on an indie label, then picked up by Atlantic – and it's got all the heaviness of some of that label's early hard rock gems by acts like Iron Butterfly or Vanilla Fudge, but a very different vibe overall. Titles include "Today I Left For The Big City", "Alright Mama", "Bring It On Home (parts 1 & 2)", "Woman Child", "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", and "Scarborough Fair/Canticle". LP, Vinyl record album