Bluesy sounds, with plenty of soul – a really special mix of modes that follows strongly in the spirit of Kent Records' other "new breed" compilations! The music here isn't really R&B, but it isn't 60s soul either – and instead has a cool mix of soulful rhythms with ruffer touches on the vocals, sax lines, and guitar – the kind of sounds we've always dug from King Records in their heyday, but which are pulled here from a variety of different labels! Most numbers are obscure indie singles from the first half of the 60s – and as usual with Kent, they're compiled with top-notch sound, and stellar notes that really illuminate the material – in a manner that's way better than those public domain sets on the market these days. Titles include "The Twitch" by Danny White, "Cruel World" by Roosevelt Powers, "Lucky Girl" by Joan Duvalle, "Breaking Hearts" by Varetta & The Thomases, "Let Me Know" by Robbie Lee, "Playboy" by Billy Ray, "Real Real Love" by Ray Agee, "What Did I Do Wrong" by The Ovations, "I Can't Even Enjoy My Home" by Big Charley & The Domans, "Something Funny Is Going On" by Bertha Tillman, and "Bossman" by Deane Hawley. CD

28 tracks by Jimmy McCracklin, The Cheaters, Snookum Russell, Johnny Otis, Professor Longhair, The Sly Fox, Wynonie Harris, and more... CD

Music from Jackie Wilson, Ruby And The Romantics, The Impressions, Brook Benton & Dinah Washington, Martha And The Vandellas, Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters, Jimmy Jones, The Miracles, Tommy Edwards, Chuck Berry, and more - 20 tracks in all. CD

One of the most important indie labels of the postwar years – heard here in a flurry of great tracks that really show them at their finest! This excellent double-length set brings together magical moments from a time when the Flair imprint was really hitting on all burners – recording key vocal, instrumental, blues, and doo wop tracks that would go onto have a huge impact on generations to come – mixed here with a host of titles that haven't been on CD before! The package digs deeper than any look at Flair we've ever seen – and that's saying a lot, given that Ace Records was already giving the label their due a few decades before – and all the new material sits strongly next to classics that make the 50 track collection one of the best R&B collections from the 78rpm era that we've heard in a long long time. Titles include "She Wants To Rock" and "Getting High" by The Flairs, "Loosely" and "Cuban Get Away" by Ike Turner, "Chop House" by Blinky Allen, "Quit Hangin Around Me" by Saunders King, "Early In The Morning" and "Can't Stop Lovin" by Elmore James, "Hello Baby" and "Baby Beat It" by Big Duke, "Midnight Hours Journey" by Johnny Ace, "Night Howler" by Billy Gale, "You Better Hold Me" by James Reed, "I've Got The Feeling" by Baby Parham, "This Time It's Real" by Ricky & Jennell, "Send Him Back" by Shirley Gunter, "An Angel Cried" by Anna Marie, "Blue Mambo" by Bobby Rey, and "Love Me Love Me Love Me" by The Chimes. CD

A great little set, even if it's not what you might expect – not the kind of cuts that heralded the early years of country soul – and instead an even cooler batch of tracks from those years when R&B and hillbilly records often crossed paths on the postwar scene! Many of the small indie labels of the 50s recorded both country and blues, sometimes even having different artists take on the same songs, but in different ways – which meant that there was often a lot of cross-pollination going on in the farther reaches of the music business! The cuts here definitely show that approach – as a good many of them were originally country hits for other singers, but sound great and very different in the hands of R&B artists – and are mixed with a few others that follow similar themes, and really fit into the set in a great way. As always with Bear Family, the whole thing is presented with great notes and details on the music – in a set list of 29 tracks that include "Steel Guitar Rag" by Earl Hooker, "Sixteen Tons" by BB King, "Lovesick Blues" by Sonny Knight, "Big Mamou" by Smiley Lewis, "Ghost Riders In The Sky" by Scatman Crothers, "It'd Surprise You" by The Griffin Brothers with Margie Day, "Indian Love Call" by Hal Singer, "No Help Wanted" by Bob Gaddy & His Alley cats, "Cherokee Boogie" by Moose Jackson, "It Makes No Difference Now" by Piano Red, and "You Can't Stay Here" by Pearl Reaves & The Concords. CD

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! CD

Thirteen songs from Kim Wilson, RL Burnside, Sonny Rhodes, Henry Gray, Sam Lay, George "Mojo" Buford, and Nappy Brown. CD

Music from Lee Andrews & the Hearts, the Videos, the Del Knights, the Avalons, the Quills & the Casinos – 16 tracks in all. CD

Includes music from the Crows, the Buccaneers, the Valentines, the Continentals, the Harptones, the Heartbeats, the Joytones, the Wrens, Jimmy Jones & the Pretenders & the Rainbows. CD

Includes 77 tracks on 3 CDs, plus a 45 page booklet with notes, rare photos, and discography. CD

Here it is, the mother of them all! The set's got 8CDs worth of killer soul, funk, and Rhythm & Blues – all culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! Although this sort of set usually tends to be a bit simplistic, this box actually features a beautiful mix of tracks, lots of which are hard to get in any format. It's a lot to go through, but it's worth the trip! We can't even begin to list the tracks here, there's 203(!) of them in all, but some of the artists include the Bar Kays, the Beginning of the End, Archie Bell & The Drells, Ruth Brown, Solomon Burke, the Capitols, Clarence Carter, the Chords, the Cookies, Don Covay, King Curtis, Tyrone Davis, the Drifters, Roberta Flack, King Floyd, Aretha Franklin, Major Harris, Donny Hathaway, the Ikettes, Willis Jackson, Nat Kendricks & The Swans, Barabra Lewis,the Mar-keys, Les McCann & Eddie Harris, Stick McGhee, Otis & Carla, the Persuaders, Percy Sledge, The Spinners, Willie Tee, Joe Tex, Chuck Willis, Betty Wright and loads more! CD

A set with "modernity" as the title, but a batch of tracks that sound plenty old all the way through – mostly the kind of upbeat soul tracks that played big with the 60s mod scene in London! Yet this isn't the usual collection of mod classics – as the work here is very obscure, and served up in the mix of rare singles and unreleased material that we totally love on other Ace/Kent Records collections – presented with great sound, and very detailed notes that are as fun to read as the songs are to hear! All the artists are American, and look very different than the dapper British gents on the cover – soaring out in a set list that includes "Deuces Wild" by Gary & Gary, "Just Can't Help Myself" by Birdlegs & Pauline, "Oh Lady Be Good" by Charles Hodges, "The Hawg (part 2)" by Eddie Kirk, "See See Rider" by Byrdie Green, "Walk Home With Me" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Sundown" by The Merced Blue Notes, "Go Away With Me" by Hollis Dixon & The Keynotes, "I Found A Little Girl" by Eddie Bo, "The Bounce" by Jackie Lee, "Earthquake" by The Fashionettes, "Air Travel" by Ray & Bob, "That's All I Want" by King Carl, "The Warm Up (part 1)" by Clifton White & His Royal Knights, "Soul Grabber" by Willis Jackson, and "Who Knows" by Willie Tee. CD

An amazing collection – a wealth of rare R&B from the 50s years of Okeh Records – most of it only ever on 78s before, issued here in a really wonderful package! The set includes rare work from Andre Williams, Pearl Traylor, Red Rodney, Lloyd Fatman, The Shufflers, Larry Darnell, Sammy Cotton, Cliff King Solomon, Chuck Willis, Jumpin Joe Williams, Titus Turner, The Treneirs, Chris Powell, and many others! Loads of tracks – 78 cuts in all – some previously unissued, too! CD

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Music from Thurston Harris, the Coasters, the Bobbettes, the Dell-Vikings, Mickey And Sylvia, the Five Satins, Larry Williams, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, the "5" Royales, Lloyd Price, the Tune Weavers, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and more - 22 tracks in all. CD

Music from Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five, Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers, Roy Milton & His Solid Senders, Nat "King" Cole Trio, Cecil Gant, Charles Brown with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, Ivory Hunter* with Johnny Moore's 3 Blazers, T-Bone Walker with Marl Young & His Orchestra, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Julia Lee with Tommy Douglas' Orchestra, Helen Humes with Bill Doggett's Octet, Dinah Washington with Lucky Thompson's All Stars, and more - 36 songs in all. CD

With 20 tracks including "Driftin' Blues", "Smoke Rings", "But Not For Me", "Chains Of Love", "Cry Me A River", "Trouble Blues", "Fool's Paradise", and "Little Girl Blue". CD

A searing set of recordings from Cyril Davies – originally the harmonica player in the early group of Alexis Korner, but working here at the head of his own group – singing as well, next to additional vocals from Long John Baldry! The set brings together rare BBC and Hullabaloo recordings by the combo – which also features guitar from Geoff Bradford, and both organ and piano from Keith Scott – a tight combo who really make the group jump as they turn out out mod blues remakes of a host of American tunes – plus a few other surprises along the way! CD features 28 tracks in all – and titles include "Country Line Special", "Good Understanding", "Leave My Woman Alone", "My Babe", "Careless Love", "On A Monday", "Harmonica Breakdown", "Preaching The Blues", "Money's Getting Cheaper", "I'm Ready", and "Chicago Calling". CD

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An overlooked gem from Diana Ross' 80s years – a record that's quite different than her Motown music of the 60s and 70s, but in a way that really shows the singer stepping out and trying something new! The album's maybe more soulful than some of Diana's previous albums – thanks to work from producer Tom Dowd – and the material is a surprising mix of songs, from sources as varied as Leonard Cohen, Luther Vandross, and Mick Hucknall! Ross does nice a nice job in reworking older soul classics – like Jackie Ross' "Selfish One" and The Drifters' "There Goes My Baby" – nestled in nicely next to more contemporary tracks that include "Dirty Looks", "Shockwaves", "Tell Me Again", "Shine", "Summertime", and "It's Hard For Me To Say". CD

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. CD

A long-awaited follow-up to one of our favorite compilations of King Records soul music – a set that does a perfect job of showing the label's strong roots in R&B, and it's important force in 60s soul! The package offers up tracks with a really great sound – definitely the grittier edge than you'd expect from the R&B in the title, yet lots of "new breed" styles as well – a more mature, more soul-based approach to the grooves that offers up a great way to harness the raw energy at the core! The set's filled with rare gems from old King, Federal, and DeLuxe label singles – including some overlooked work by bigger name singers – and titles include "Two Hearts" by The King Pins, "I'm Tore Down" by Freddie King, "Send Me A Picture Baby" by Mel Williams, "Love Man" by Hal Hardy, "Geneva" by Eugene Church, "Wild Child" by Donnie Elbert, "Your Letter" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Say Hey Pretty Baby" by Lula Reed, "Let Me Walk With You" by Eddie Kirk, "Stop Talking To Your Child" by James Duncan, "It Hurts Inside" by The 5 Royales, "Let's Have A Good Time" by The Hi Tones, and "When You Move You Lose" by Lee Shot Williams. CD

Gene Ammons in a mighty nice setting – working here in an open-ended jam session style that brings all his best live energy into play at the studio of Rudy Van Gelder! The set's got a crackle that really goes beyond the earlier, shorter bop recordings from Ammons – and a bit more darkness than some of his 60s sessions too – a really wonderful balance of open and tight playing, not just from Jug's tenor, but also from Art Farmer on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Duke Jordan on piano! Rhythm's handled by Addison Farmer on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the mighty Candido also adds in some congas, to really give things a kick. The set list includes four long tracks – "Happy Blues", "The Great Lie", "Madhouse", and "Can't We Be Friends". CD

Insanely great work from Slim Gaillard, the self-styled LA hipster who rose to prominence in the wartime blues and jazz scene, and who continued to wow audiences for years with his unique blend of hipster jazz! This CD features some of Slim's best work – recorded for Verve in the 50s, and painfully unavailable for years. Slim sings in a voice that's all his own – mixing bluesy crooning with scatting and plenty of talking in his own language of "vout". Consider him a west coast version of Babs Gonzales, and you've got part of the picture – but you'll need this set to fill in all the spaces. Titles include "You Goofed", "Arabian Boogie", "Tip Light", "Serenade To A Poodle", "Babalu Orooney", "Laughing In Rhythm", "Chicken Rhythm", and the complete "Opera In Vout". CD

An expanded, remastered version of this legendary live performance from British tenor giant Tubby Hayes – a 1965 session recorded at the famous Hopbine club, owned by saxophonist Tommy Whittle, who also makes an appearance on two numbers in the set! The recording quality of the CD is quite strong – and Hayes is caught in strong Sonny Rollins-like territory – improvising strongly and creatively over longer selections, never failing to delight with his rich command of the tenor. Most tracks are in the 10 minute and more range – and the group features Tubby as the main soloist with a rhythm section that includes Kenny Powell on piano, Ron Mathewson on bass, and Dick Brennan on drums. Titles include "Night & Day", "It Never Entered My Mind", "I Remember You", "No Blues", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "What's New". CD

A lost gem from Buddy – recorded in the years between his more famous work for Verve in the 50s, and his later 60s comeback as the hard-swinging leader of a big band! The album's a really unusual one for Buddy, in that it really plays around a lot with the rhythms in the tunes – not just using the "blues" phrasing that you might expect from the title, but also hitting bits of lighter, Latiny styles – as well as some slightly modal moments that emerge from longer solo drum passages by Rich. Part of the album's strength is the players – as Buddy's working here with Mike Mainieri on vibes, Sam Most on flute, and Rolf Ericson on trumpet – as well as the unusual rhythm team of Johnny Morris on piano and Wyatt Ruther on bass, neither of whom we really know. Tracks include "Caravan", "Blow'n The Blues Away", "BR Blues", "Late Date", and "I Remember Clifford". CD

Titles include "Midnight Symphony", "DB Blues", "The Man I Love", "Blues For Marvin", "Sweet Georgia Brown", and "I Got Rhythm". CD

Rare Brunswick sides recorded by from Jabbo Smith and his group the Rhythm Aces right here in Chicago! Tracks include "Weird & Blue", "Lina Blues", "Take Your Time", "Little Willie Blues", "Let's Get Together", "Decatur Street Tutti", and "Michigander Blues". CD

An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and his Chicago comperes, hanging out at clubs on the south side, drinking in the relatively new electric sound of the city, and turning out a groove that's a lot more hard-edged than some of the overseas imitators at the time! Paul's pretty darn great on vocals and harmonica – but the group has some even more powerful sounds in the twin guitar talents of Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop – the former on slide, the latter on rhythm – along with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin on some Hammond too. Titles include "Blues With A Feeling", "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Mystery Train", "Screamin", "Last Night", and "Look Over Yonders Wall". CD

Booker Ervin hits a great blue note here – working with a wonderfully soulful group that includes the mighty Carmell Jones on trumpet and Gildo Mahones on piano! These players both help Ervin hit a sound that's much more in the pocket than some of his other work on Prestige at the time – a lot less modern, and more with roots in the Texas tenor tradition from whence Ervin sprang. But as you might guess with Jones – and maybe a bit with Mahones – the overall sound still has some nice modern touches too – subtle, sneaky little bits thrown in alongside the gutsier, more full-on solo moments. Rhythm is by Richard Davis on bass and Alan Dawson on drums – and the album features 4 long tracks that include "Eerie Dearie", "One For Mort", "No Booze Blooze", and "True Blue". CD

A wonderful reunion of the team of Frank Foster and Frank Wess – caught here in an easy-going and laidback style that's miles away from their work with Count Basie! The youthful rhythm section of Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, and Marvin Smitty Smith really adds a lot to the set – giving the record a later sort of soul jazz vibe, one that's perfect for the pair to solo over in open-ended lines. Both Franks play tenor sax, and Wess plays flute and alto as well – while Foster does some excellent work on soprano sax. Titles include "Bay Street", "Two For The Blues", "But For The Likes Of You", "Nancy With The Laughing Face", "Your Beauty Is A Song Of Love", and "A Time For Love". CD

We love our Buddy Guy here in Chicago – and this set cut for Vanguard, one of his first full solo albums with his own band will always be a favorite! Buddy's late 60s sound was as charismatic as he'd always be, but there's an understated approach to his lead that's really wonderful, and hits us much deeper than the showy, guitar solo heavy stuff that the blues club tourists want to hear! He's got the great Otis Spann playing piano, Wayne Bennett on rhythm, Jack Myers on bass, Lonny Taylor and Fred Below on drums, and Donald Hankins, Aaron Corthen and Bobby Fields on saxes. Titles include "A Man And His Blues", "I Can't Quit The Blues", "One Room Country Shack", "Just Playing My Axe", "Worry, Worry", "Jam On A Monday Morning" and more. CD

One of our favorite albums ever from Harold Land, and a great set that has a hard soul jazz feel – despite the "west coast" in the title. Harold's playing with a great group that includes Barry Harris, Joe Gordon, and Sam Jones – as well as guitarist Wes Montgomery, who's work on the session really gives it a soulful edge! The cover lists the rhythm section as "all-soul", and it's right, as the accompaniment for Harold here is more sensitive, and more swinging than on most of his other records. The set sparkles with brilliance, and with great relaxed soulful playing. Cuts include "Compulsion", "Ursula", "Terrain", "Klactoveedsedstene", and "West Coast Blues". CD

A killer electric piano jam from the great Mike Longo – stone funky, and one of his best albums ever! The whole thing's done in a really laidback style that's simply amazing – a lot like the best CTI work of the time, but somehow rougher, and with a darker edge. Longo riffs out on the keys over rhythm by Ron Carter, Mickey Roker, and Ralph MacDonald – and Joe Farrell and Randy Brecker add in some great horn work that fleshes out the tunes with a deeply soulful jazzy feel. The whole album's great, with a range of moods, emotions, and grooves that Longo hardly ever hit again – and titles include "Summers Gone", "El Moodo Grande", "Like a Thief In the Night", "Ocean Of His Might", and "Magic Number". CD

The title gets it partly right, as the Manhattan Jazz Quintet have some added help on guitar from John Scofield on a few tracks – whose lines definitely underscore some of the more blues-based colors in the music! Scofield's an open, chromatic master on his instrument – and that approach turns out to be a great match for the group's lead horns of Lew Soloff on trumpet and George Young on tenor – both players with very different inflections than John, but who complement his sound in all the right ways. The rhythm's also a bit sharper than usual for the group – with snapping drums from Steve Gadd, and always-great work from Eddie Gomez on bass. Titles include "Basin Street Blues", "Blues March", "Bag's Groove", and "Sweet Basil Blues". CD

A legendary album from alto genius Art Pepper – a set in which he meets up with the famous Miles Davis rhythm section of the time – Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – a trio of players who really help send the album over the top! There's maybe a bit more of a crackle in the rhythms here than on some of Art's other 50s records – which makes for a classic meeting of east and west coast scenes, and some especially nice raspy lines from Pepper – delivered at that level that always made his music of this period so nicely complex – outwardly cool, but with some seething energy at the core. Titles include a definitive take on Art's classic "Straight Life" – plus "Waltz Me Blues", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", and "Star Eyes". CD

A legendary album from alto genius Art Pepper – a set in which he meets up with the famous Miles Davis rhythm section of the time – Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – a trio of players who really help send the album over the top! There's maybe a bit more of a crackle in the rhythms here than on some of Art's other 50s records – which makes for a classic meeting of east and west coast scenes, and some especially nice raspy lines from Pepper – delivered at that level that always made his music of this period so nicely complex – outwardly cool, but with some seething energy at the core. Titles include a definitive take on Art's classic "Straight Life" – plus "Waltz Me Blues", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", and "Star Eyes". CD

A classic set from Horace Silver – one in which his quintet is expanded by some great guest work from trombonist JJ Johnson! Johnson's at the height of his 60s powers here – blowing with that lean, soulful style that always made any record sparkle – and although he's only on half of the tracks on the date, his presence is more than worth the heavy billing he gets on the cover! Other great members of the group include Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, and rhythm from Bob Cranshaw on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – all coming together with that wonderful 60s Silver groove. The set's filled with sweetly grooving originals by Horace – a blueprint for the exotic style of soul jazz he helped to forge at the time – great writing all around, on titles that include "Mo Joe", "Nutville", "Bonita", "The African Queen", and "Pretty Eyes". CD

One of Horace Silver's greatest records ever – and the album that always makes us remember how many of his tunes are now etched in the memory of modern jazz! The album's got a slightly exotic bent that you might guess from the title – a furthering of the sound that Silver first started on his own after breaking with Art Blakey – a hint of more cosmic modes to come in soul jazz, yet still served up here with more of the punch you might expect from 60s Blue Note. The group is great – with Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Junior Cook on tenor – both super-tight at the start of the tunes, then breaking off into deeply personal territory on their solos. Rhythm is from Gene Taylor on bass and John Harris on drums – the latter a lesser-known compatriot of Silver, but one with a nicely loose sensibility that really adds a lot to the record. The writing is great – and titles include "Sayanara Blues", "Tokyo Blues", "Ah So", "Cherry Blossom", and "Too Much Sake". CD

One of Horace Silver's greatest records ever – and the album that always makes us remember how many of his tunes are now etched in the memory of modern jazz! The album's got a slightly exotic bent that you might guess from the title – a furthering of the sound that Silver first started on his own after breaking with Art Blakey – a hint of more cosmic modes to come in soul jazz, yet still served up here with more of the punch you might expect from 60s Blue Note. The group is great – with Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Junior Cook on tenor – both super-tight at the start of the tunes, then breaking off into deeply personal territory on their solos. Rhythm is from Gene Taylor on bass and John Harris on drums – the latter a lesser-known compatriot of Silver, but one with a nicely loose sensibility that really adds a lot to the record. The writing is great – and titles include "Sayanara Blues", "Tokyo Blues", "Ah So", "Cherry Blossom", and "Too Much Sake". CD

A cooking little record from Japanese guitarist Sunao Wada – one with plenty of offbeat touches! Like many of the albums on the Three Blind Mice label from the time, this one's a bit hard to peg – because the moods and styles shift a bit from track to track, and there's an openly exploratory approach to the music that's really trying to find its own space in jazz! Some numbers are straighter bop, but others have a more unusual approach to rhythm that really opens things up – using the guitar in different ways, and having the bass and drums work their lines with unusual phrasing and sounds that really keep things interesting. Other instrumentation includes alto sax from Kenji Mori, piano from Takehiro Honda, and flugelhorn from Kunji Shigi – and titles include "Sick Thomas", "Coco's Blues", "Guitar's Time", and "One's Blue". CD

A treasure trove of rare postwar blues from the west coast – material cut for Dootsie Williams, best known as the head of the seminal Dootone label in LA! The set offers both tracks from Dootone and Williams' rarer imprint Blue – the latter of which existed from the late 40s into the early 50s, and featured a fair bit of excellent material done in the more laidback bluesy mode of LA after the war – styles popularized by Charles Brown, Cecil Gant, and others – echoed strongly in many of the performances here. As the set rolls on into the later 50s, some of the tracks pick up a bit more of an R&B sound – but the work is still relatively unified here, thanks to a good focus on the more blues-based work on Dootone. 30 tracks in all, plus some really great notes – all at the usual high Ace level! Titles include "Rent Day" by Stormy Herman, "Richmond Blues" by Betty Hall Jones, "West Coast Baby" by Johnny Taylor & His Mellow 5, "I Got A Country Girl" by Bobby Nunn, "Everybody's Jumpin Tonight" by Dootsie Williams & His Rhythm Kings with Joe Turner, "You'd Better Come Home Baby" by Violet Hall, "The Hole In The Wall" by Cleo Brown, "Are You Ready To Go Steady" by Paul Monday, and "Katy Lee" by Fats Gaines. CD