One of the most obscure 50s releases from Blue Note Records – part of a pair of 10" albums recorded on the west coast – which was quite a change from the label's usual east coast home! The album's originally came with no full artist information, and were released as a "blindfold test" under the supervision of Leonard Feather – in which the listener was supposed to guess the players! The musicians on the original record were not named – probably because of contractual reasons – but artists include the cream of the LA scene of the time – Conte Candoli on trumpet, Jimmy Giuffre and Charlie Mariano on reeds, Howard Roberts on guitar, and Marty Paich on piano – all coming together with a fresh, clean sound that's more like the classic 50s sessions on the Mode or Bethlehem labels instead of Blue Note. Titles on volume 2 includes "Here's Pete", "Blindfold Test No 3", "Arcadia", and "Burbank Bounce". LP, Vinyl record album

A cooking little 10" session from the great west coast tenorist Bob Cooper – a great blend of modern and warmer west coast styles – served up with plenty of great work on tenor! Players here include Bud Shank on reeds, Howard Roberts on guitar, Shelly Manne on drums, and Claude Williamson on piano – working with Bob on 2 different sessions, both of them great. Tracks have that tightly arranged Cooper style, but also break out with some really great solos – especially from Bob and Bud – and titles include "Lisbon Lady", "Solo Plight", "The Way You Look Tonight", "She Didn't Say Yes", and "Excursion". LP, Vinyl record album

With Pim Jacobs & Hans Hammerschmid on piano, Rudolf Hansen & Ruud Jacobs on bass & Victor Plasil & Wessel Ilcken on drums. CD

A tremendous early album from this west coast tenorist – really breaking out here in a smaller group setting than usual! Coop plays tenor, in a group with Victor Feldman on vibes, Loy Levy on piano, Frank Rosolino on tormbone, and Mel Lewis on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

Cooper and Holman don't actually play together on this album but it is rather a collection of some of their sessions for Capitol, originally in the Kenton Presents Jazz series, from 1954. Side A is mostly comprised of Cooper and his band playing such songs as "The Way You Look Tonight", "Lisbon Lady", "Group Activity", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "Solo Plight". Cooper's Sextet included such musicians as Bud Shank, Shelly Manne and Stan Levy. Side B are all original Holman compositions and they include "Awfully Busy", "Back To Minors", "Cousin Jack", "Sparkle", and "Plain Folks". Holman's band included such musicians as Stu Williamson, Max Bennett, Stan Levey, and Herb Geller. LP, Vinyl record album

The great Bud Shank was a real master of many reed forms in the 50s – maybe even in a way that set the scene for Yusef Lateef and Roland Kirk's experiments to come! Here, he blows flute alongside the oboe of Bob Cooper – who's best known as a tenorist – and the pair craft some very cool west coast sounds, all arranged by Cooper! Other players include Howard Roberts on bass and Don Prell on bass – and there's some added work from a small string group, almost tying the thing to some of the Fred Katz experiments of the time. Titles include "Gypsy In My Soul", "In The Blue Of The Evening", "Tequila Time", "I Can't Get Started", "Blues For Delilah", "Sunset & Wine", and "What'll I Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of west coast jazz work from the mid 50s – one that features a number of unusual sessions! First off, the set includes 4 tracks that were initially recorded under the leadership of Shorty Rogers, most likely for RCA – and featuring players that include Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre, and Pete Jolly – on titles that include the Giuffre originals "Safari", "Ballade", and "Scarf Dance". Next up are 15 tracks from the rare Best From The West 10" jazz LPs for Blue Note – originally billed as a "blindfold test" under the supervision of Leonard Feather, and some of the label's only west coast jazz sessions of the 50s! The musicians on the original record were not named – probably because of contractual reasons – but artists include Conte Candoli, Jimmy Giuffre, Charlie Mariano, Howard Roberts, Marty Paich, and others – all coming together with a fresh, clean sound that's very much in the spirit of some of the best west coast work for labels like Pacific Jazz or Capitol at the time! This CD reissue includes both of the original 10" albums on one set – along with much-needed notes on the players. Titles include "Santa Anita", "Culver City", "Burbank Bounce", "Arcadia", "Here's Pete", "Santa Monica", and "Blindfold Test No 1". The set then features 9 more tracks from sine 1957 sessions produced by Howard Lucraft, also done as a study in West Coast jazz – featuring compositions by Lucraft that include "Smog A La Mode", "Jazz For Gene", "Larrisa", and "California Zephyr – played by 3 different groups of players that include Bud Shank, Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson, Frank Rosolino, Charlie Mariano, and Buddy Collette. Last up are 4 more tunes from a 1955 session that features Stu Williamson, Herb Geller, Jack Montrose, and Bob Gordon – on tracks that include "Id", "I'm Forever Counting Geigers", and "Skip To Me Loot". 38 tracks in all – with full notes on the sessions and players! CD

Pete Christlieb and Bob Cooper on tenor sax, Mike Wofford on piano, Chuck Berghofer on bass, and Donald Bailey on drums. CD

A wonderful document of one of the best musical pairings on the west coast scene of the 50s – Bud Shank and Bob Cooper! The set features some of the pair's best recordings for the Pacific Jazz label in the 50s – material that was recorded for the albums Bud Shank & 3 Trombones, Bud Shank & Bob Brookmeyer, Jazz At Cal Tech, Flute N Oboe, Blowin Country, and The Swing's To TV. Some of the sessions feature Shank as the main instrumentalist, with Cooper doing arrangements – and others feature the pair playing together, in wonderful multi-reed settings that include work on alto, tenor, flute, oboe, and bass clarinet! Together, the pair had a well-crafted sound that showed the best elements of the west coast at the time – a tight sense of arrangements and execution, but also a solfulness to the solo work that made even the shortest tunes bristle with life and energy! The set features a huge amount of material – 50 titles in all, on 3CDs, with great notes on the material – and the quality of the package is tremendous! CD

TV themes, taken to a whole new place – thanks to the mighty talents of Bud Shank and Bob Cooper! The format here's a bit different than other TV jazz albums of the time – as the tunes aren't goofy, or groovy – but instead showcase the more serious, soundtrack-like aspects of TV theming. A few of the numbers are familiar as older standards, but were being used in television at the time – and Shank and Cooper perform the titles with an approach that's often moody, sometimes sentimental, and filled with tones you wouldn't expect. Most numbers are ballads, done with added strings and rhythm – and Shank plays flute and alto, Cooper oboe and tenor sax – making for more reeds than usual, which further helps flesh out the complicated patterns of sound. Titles include "Thanks For The Memory", "Tenderly", "Put Your Dreams Away", "When You Wish Upon A Star", "Dinah", "Love Nest", "Steve Allen Theme", and "A Romantic Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

Jim Cooper on vibraphone, Ira Sullivan on trumpet and saxophones, Bob Dogan on piano, Dan DeLorenzo on bass, Charlie Braugham on drums, and Alejo Povenda on percussion. CD

Early work from the Alice Cooper band – working in a hard grooving, late 60s psych and garage rock informed sound, a couple years before the Bob Ezrin-produced, shock rock juggernaut – but still a nicely sinister Detroit rock & roll sound! Alice's sneering, snakelike vocals are laying the bedrock for the nastiness to come – and this is the best, pre-superstar Alice Cooper album, and also a lot stronger than the cheesy, self referential late 70s stuff. Titles include Mr & Misdemeanor", "Shoe Salesman", "Still No Air", "Below Your Means", "Return Of The Spiders", "Laughing At Me", "Lay Down And Die, Goodbye" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Pure early genius from Alice Cooper – a set that might not have been as big of a hit as some of his other early 70s albums, but which also shows the singer to be very much at the top of his game! Some of the tracks here follow familiar Cooper territory – sinister, hard-rocking energy with a no-nonsense approach – but there's also some deeper elements handled nicely by Bob Ezrin – with qualities that now feel years ahead of their time, and maybe even an influence to later folks who never would have admitted such a link! Titles include the fantastic "Halo Of Flies" – plus "Under My Wheels", "Be My Lover", "You Drive Me Nervous", "Yeah Yeah Yeah", "Dead Babies", and "Killer". LP, Vinyl record album

The third album from Alice Cooper and perhaps the first great one – starting the 70s sleaze show win streak with the massive "I'm Eighteen" and an LP full of great, gritty and grimy rock and roll. Bob Ezrin's producing for the first time, and if the songs and the whole show isn't yet as menacingly theatrical as it would get to be in the following couple of years, the angry anthemic vibe is here and it's heavy! Other tracks include "Caught In A Dream", "Hallowed Be My Name", "Black Juju", "Is It My Body", "Second Coming", "Ballad Of Dwight Fry" and "Sun Arise". CD

The third album from Alice Cooper and perhaps the first great one – starting the 70s sleaze show win streak with the massive "I'm Eighteen" and an LP full of great, gritty and grimy rock and roll. Bob Ezrin's producing for the first time, and if the songs and the whole show isn't yet as menacingly theatrical as it would get to be in the following couple of years, the angry anthemic vibe is here and it's heavy! Other tracks include "Caught In A Dream", "Hallowed Be My Name", "Black Juju", "Is It My Body", "Second Coming", "Ballad Of Dwight Fry" and "Sun Arise". CD

Chet Baker and Rolf Ericson on trumpet, Bud Shank on alto and baritone saxophone, Bob Cooper and Jimmy Giuffre on tenor saxophone, Claude Williamson and Russ Freeman on piano, Howard Rumsey on bass, and Max Roach and Shelly Manne on drums. CD

One of the greatest jazz soundtracks of all time! Elmer Bernstein wrote the score to Otto Preminger's chilling film version of Nelson Algren's book The Man With The Golden Arm – a sad tale of jazz, gambling, and heroin addiction on the streets of Chicago (not far from Dusty Groove, in fact!) – and in doing so, he came up with one of the first jazz soundtracks to really work strongly with a dramatic narrative. The film's striking theme is played in a number of variations, either with orchestral backing, or in small combo format by Shorty Rogers & His Giants, a crack west coast group that features work by Bud Shank, Shelly Manne, Bob Cooper, and Pete Candoli. The tracks work perfectly together as a suite of tracks, even without the images of the film – telling a tale of temptation, sadness, tragedy, and rebirth. Titles include "Clark Street", "Breakup", "The Fix", "Zosh", "Frankie Machine", and "Audition". Worth the price for the Saul Bass cover alone! LP, Vinyl record album

The great bassist Ray Brown proves that any instrument can swing – here picking up a cello, and grooving wonderfully in a very warm setting! The album features arrangements by Russ Garcia – slightly modern, and with lots of space, so that Ray can play both bass and cello with room to stretch out in complicated solos that might have gotten buried under larger backings. Other players include Don Fagerquist, Paul Horn, Bob Cooper, and Jimmy Rowles – and titles include "Rosalie", "Alice Blue Gown", "Tangerine", "That Old Feeling", and "Memories Of You". CD

An obscure moment in June Christy's career, but a great one too – a rare later recording, done many years after her time at Capitol Records – in a laidback setting with a hip group of west coast players! June's voice definitely shows a bit of age, but she's still head and shoulders above most jazz singers of her generation – mixing subtle feeling and darkness together beautifully, in a way that makes for a wonderfully moody record! Lou Levy leads the group on piano, and other players include Bob Cooper on tenor and flute, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Jack Sheldon on trumpet – although the horns don't seem to appear on all the tracks on the date. Titles include "The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye", "My Shining Hour", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Show Me", "Willow Weep For Me", "Everything Must Change", and "Autumn Serenade". LP, Vinyl record album

With featured soloists including Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, Milt Bernhart, Ray Wetzel, Bob Cooper, Lennie Niehaus, Bill Holman, Lee Konitz, Kent Larsen, Bill Perkins, Jack Sheldon, Richie Kamuca, Jerry McKenzie, San Noto, Gabe Baltazar, Dick Hypde, Bud Shank, and John Lowe. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Maynard Ferguson & the Big Bop Nouveau Band, the Bill Holman Big Band, the Bob Florence Limited Edition, the Lighthouse All-Stars, the Buddy Childers Big Band, the Lee Konitz Quartet, the Bob Cooper Quartet, the Tom Talbert Jazz Orchestra, the Bud Shank Quartet, and the Mark Masters Jazz Orchestra. CD

A wonderfully laidback album from Barney Kessel – gentle guitar stepping around familiar standards, but all with a hip sort of west coast 50s flavor! The main group on the album features Bob Cooper on oboe and tenor, Claude Williamson on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – but a few extra tunes, added to expand the full LP from the original 10" session, feature Hampton Hawes on piano and Red Mitchell on bass – plus the rest of the other group. Titles include "Speak Low", "Love Is Here To Stay", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "On A Slow Boat To China", "Barney's Blues", "A Foggy Day", "Prelude To A Kiss" and "64 Bars On Wilshire" – obviously not a standard! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful laid back LP from Barney Kessel, with a mellow west coast feel throughout. Kessel's got a nice sympathetic quintet supporting him on this date, with Bob Cooper, Claude Williamson, Monty Budwig and Shelly Manne. 8 numbers in all, including "Speak Low", "Love Is Here To Stay", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "On A Slow Boat To China", "Barney's Blues", "A Foggy Day", "Prelude To A Kiss" and "64 Bars On Wilshire". LP, Vinyl record album

With Bob Efford on baritone sax, Monty Budwig on bass, Frank Capp on drums, Al Hendrickson on Guitar, Nat Pierce on piano, and Bob Cooper on tenor sax. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collaboration between Perez Prado and trumpeter Shorty Rogers – one in which Rogers' solos sparkle brilliantly over the top of Perez's tight Latin rhythms – all in a style that's as moody as it is evocative and rhythmic! Side one features the extended "Voodoo Suite" – a side-long track that builds nicely on rootsy Latin rhythms that are much freer than Prado's pop work of the 50s – and which features a growing jazz horizon at the edges, filled with players who include Bud Shank on alto and flute, Bob Cooper on tenor, Shelly Manne on drums, and Pete Candoli on trumpet – in a larger section underneath Shorty Rogers' solos. Side two features shorter tracks recorded a year later – a bit more in the standard Prado mode, but still with a really dynamic feel, and contributions from jazz players like Candoli and Rolf Erikson on trumpets, Willie Maiden on tenor, and Jay Hill on trombone. Titles include "Music Makers", "In The Mood", "St. James Infirmary", and "Jumpin At The Woodside". LP, Vinyl record album

A 31 track collection pulled from sessions in 1953 and 1954, featuring Shorty Rogers with His Giants and His Orchestra, with personnel that includes Art Pepper, Jimmy Giuffre, Hanpton Hawes, Shelly Manne, Pete Candoli, Bob Cooper, Marty Paich, Curtis Counce, Bud Shank, Herb Geller, Zoot Sims, and many more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest sets issued under the name of the Lighthouse All-Stars – that hip assemblage of west coast players headed by bassist Howard Rumsey – hardly a household name on his own, but well-remembered for all the great work done at this famous club! The lineup is a who's who of key players on the west coast at the time – Shorty Rogers and Maynard Ferguson on trumpet, Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Cooper on tenor, Hampton Hawes on piano, Milt Bernhart on trombone, and Shelly Manne on drums – and some tracks are a bit longer than usual, offering up freer solo space than you're likely to get on other west coast dates – a key contribution of the All-Stars recording mode. Titles include "Creme De Menthe", "Four Others", "La Sonicalli", "Morgan Davis", "Bernie's Tune", "Viva Zapata", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely music from pianist Paul Smith – working here on one of his most standout sessions of the 50s, thanks to the presence of horn players Bob Cooper on tenor and Julie Kinsler on flute! The style is still very much in the same fluid area as Paul's Liquid Sounds work for Capitol – but the addition of the tenor and flute really fleshes things out nicely, and gives the record a sparkling sound that's mighty nice – almost more 60s swinging in its conception at times, especially given the guitar work by Toni Rizzi! In addition to Smith's piano, the group also features bass by Joe Mondragon and drums by Stan Levey – and titles include "Chicken Wings", "Gisele", "Cookie Time", "But Not For Me", "Fine & Dandy", "Lady In Red", and "Love Walked In". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Mel Torme – easily his best set ever, and a record that helped raise the bar for all other singers back in the 50s! A key part of the success of the set is the presence of Marty Paich as an arranger – as Marty swings the whole thing with a fluid groove that's really amazing, and which is a style that hadn't ever been done on record this well before. The group is filled with hip west coast players like Pete Candoli, Jack Montrose, Bob Cooper, and Bud Shank – all of whom really soar together, and elevate Mel's vocals from the older velvet fog mode, into a leaner, hipper style that's really tremendous! Titles include "The Blues", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Lulu's Back In Town", "The Carioca", "Sing For Your Supper", and "Lullaby Of Birdland". CD

A seminal bit of west coast cool jazz from the mid 50s – a session led by Cy Touff, a lesser-remembered player from the LA scene, and an instrumentalist who used a bass trumpet! Cy's working here in the company of a host of more familiar names – including Richie Kamuca, Russ Freeman, Johnny Mandel, Leroy Vinnegar, and Pete Jolly – on a set of tightly arranged tunes that have a swinging ensemble feel that reminds us a bit of Bob Cooper's work from the time. The CD features the 8 original tracks from the album, plus 2 bonus cuts – and titles include "It's Sand Man", "Primitive Cats", "A Smooth One", "TNT", "Groover Wailin", and "Prez-ence". CD

An essential collection of early work from Ike Turner – done before Tina was in the mix, and with a host of great singers – in lineups that include material recorded under the names of Icky Renrut, Bobby Foster, Timothy Cooper, Sammy Grimes, Chuck Wheeler, and Johnny Wright! Lots of rare singles – and great notes too! CD

A great look at the lesser-known side of the Harlem soul empire of producer Bobby Robinson – best known for his work on the Fire and Fury labels, but also heard here on a host of rare singles for Enjoy, Vest, and other smaller imprints! There's plenty of records here that mark Robinson as having a key ear for funk way before most other talents on the scene – and there's plenty of tracks here that take conventional soul artists and set them up in a nicely gritty mode – perfect for the format of a 45rpm 7" single – especially on some of the cuts here that spill out over both sides of the wax! The set features 28 tracks in all – many of which we've not seen on other collections – and titles include "Baby Baby I Love You" by The Hootenaires, "Ain't Nobody's Business" by Mary B, "Don't Make Me Cry" by Ti Mattison, "Count The Tears" by Jimmy Armstrong, "Memphis" by The Dan Dees, "My Darkest Hour" by Titus Turner, "Talk To Me Baby" by Joe Haywood, "Soul Express (parts 1 & 2)" by The Ramrods, "Hot Potato (parts 1 & 2)" by The Rinkydinks, "The Squeeze (parts 1 & 2)" by Horace Coopoer & Band, "Bank Of Love" by Janet Calloway, "Just A Little Bit Of True Love" by Betty Boothe, "What Ya Gonna Do" by Noble Watts & June Bateman, and "Dig Yourself" by Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers. CD

That's a sweet image on the cover – and the grooves inside are equally dynamic too – a really wonderful collection that's easily one of the most compelling in Numero's Eccentric Soul series! The work here all hails from the tiny San Antonio scene of the late 60s – but much of the music has a sound that's way different than you might expect from Texas soul – often with great harmonies that recall the best of the east coast groups of the time, and occasionally with a few brown-eyed touches that echo the style of East LA! There's a wonderfully heartbreaking feel to many of these tracks – and the set's heavy focus on mellower numbers is totally great – and gives the whole thing a wonderful late nite sort of vibe that's usually quite hard to find in compilations like this. As usual, Numero's done a great job with the notes and history of the label – but the music alone is more than enough – a heady brew of cuts that include "Little Girl Blue" and "Try Loving Me" by The Webs, "I Gotta Know" by Tonettes, "Give Your Love To Me" and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Little Jr Jesse & The Tear Drops, "Cry & Wonder Why" by Doc & Sal, "Must Be Alright" and "Hey It's Love" by The Commands, "She's Gotta Have Soul" by Bobby Blackmon & The Soul Express, and "I Can't Take No More" by Willie Cooper & The Webs. CD

A double-length collection of work from two obscure Atlanta soul labels – the Tragar and Note imprints, both run by local producer Jesse Jones! Back in the day, Atlanta wasn't nearly as big of an outlet for soul records as it's become in recent years – so Jones' labels were key in showcasing under-exposed local talent in the city, a range of soul groups, solo singers, and funk combos – all produced here with a really fresh sound! Nearly every track here is super-obscure – and there's few southern soul cliches to get in the way of the music – no overdone blues, no Hotlanta disco, no Muscle Shoals copies – just honest-to-goodness indie soul at its best – full of life, vitality, and personality – all presented with the usual deep-digging Numero look at the artists in the notes. The package is one of the biggest Numero collections so far – and really tells the tale of this crucially overlooked scene – a key link between more familiar southern styles and rising Northern modes, all with a personality of its own. Titles include "All Because of You" and "Down In The Country" by Tee Fletcher, "The Hump" and "Tipping Strings" by The Knights, "Somebody Got A Help Me" and "Love is So Mean" by Richard Cook, "Ain't That Sharp" by Young Divines, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Messing Around" by Bobby Owens & The Diplomats, "Shake Daddy Shake" and "Try" by Eula Cooper, "Tumbling Down" by Langston & French, "You Got A Spell On Me" by Bill Wright, "Now That I'm Wise" by Nathan Wilkes, and "Nitecap" by L Daniels. LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length collection of work from two obscure Atlanta soul labels – the Tragar and Note imprints, both run by local producer Jesse Jones! Back in the day, Atlanta wasn't nearly as big of an outlet for soul records as it's become in recent years – so Jones' labels were key in showcasing under-exposed local talent in the city, a range of soul groups, solo singers, and funk combos – all produced here with a really fresh sound! Nearly every track here is super-obscure – and there's few southern soul cliches to get in the way of the music – no overdone blues, no Hotlanta disco, no Muscle Shoals copies – just honest-to-goodness indie soul at its best – full of life, vitality, and personality – all presented with the usual deep-digging Numero look at the artists in the notes. The package is one of the biggest Numero collections so far – and really tells the tale of this crucially overlooked scene – a key link between more familiar southern styles and rising Northern modes, all with a personality of its own. Titles include "All Because of You" and "Down In The Country" by Tee Fletcher, "The Hump" and "Tipping Strings" by The Knights, "Somebody Got A Help Me" and "Love is So Mean" by Richard Cook, "Ain't That Sharp" by Young Divines, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Messing Around" by Bobby Owens & The Diplomats, "Shake Daddy Shake" and "Try" by Eula Cooper, "Tumbling Down" by Langston & French, "You Got A Spell On Me" by Bill Wright, "Now That I'm Wise" by Nathan Wilkes, and "Nitecap" by L Daniels. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic live performance from this legendary ensemble – and a record that brings a nice sort of edge to the group's already great sound! It's a bit hard to describe – but somehow the live recording quality seems to create more intensity, maybe more urgency to the way the group emotionally communicates – maybe partly just the echo and open space of the recording, but also maybe the way the group seems to open up with a fresh on-the-spot energy. In addition to Toshiko Akiyoshi on piano and Lew Tabackin on reeds, the lineup features saxes from Beverly Darke, Dick Spencer, Gary Foster, and Gary Herbig; trombones from Bill Reichenbach, Charlie Loper, Phil Teele, and Rick Culver; and trumpets from Bobby Shew, Mike Price, Richard Cooper, and Steven Huffstetter. Titles include the always-great "Warning Success May Be Hazardous To Your Health" – plus "Road Time Shuffle", "March Of The Tadpoles", and "Strive For Jive". CD

A great look at the lesser-known side of the Harlem soul empire of producer Bobby Robinson – best known for his work on the Fire and Fury labels, but also heard here on a host of rare singles for Enjoy, Vest, and other smaller imprints! There's plenty of records here that mark Robinson as having a key ear for funk way before most other talents on the scene – and there's plenty of tracks here that take conventional soul artists and set them up in a nicely gritty mode – perfect for the format of a 45rpm 7" single – especially on some of the cuts here that spill out over both sides of the wax! The set features 28 tracks in all – many of which we've not seen on other collections – and titles include "Baby Baby I Love You" by The Hootenaires, "Ain't Nobody's Business" by Mary B, "Don't Make Me Cry" by Ti Mattison, "Count The Tears" by Jimmy Armstrong, "Memphis" by The Dan Dees, "My Darkest Hour" by Titus Turner, "Talk To Me Baby" by Joe Haywood, "Soul Express (parts 1 & 2)" by The Ramrods, "Hot Potato (parts 1 & 2)" by The Rinkydinks, "The Squeeze (parts 1 & 2)" by Horace Coopoer & Band, "Bank Of Love" by Janet Calloway, "Just A Little Bit Of True Love" by Betty Boothe, "What Ya Gonna Do" by Noble Watts & June Bateman, and "Dig Yourself" by Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers. CD

That's a sweet image on the cover – and the grooves inside are equally dynamic too – a really wonderful collection that's easily one of the most compelling in Numero's Eccentric Soul series! The work here all hails from the tiny San Antonio scene of the late 60s – but much of the music has a sound that's way different than you might expect from Texas soul – often with great harmonies that recall the best of the east coast groups of the time, and occasionally with a few brown-eyed touches that echo the style of East LA! There's a wonderfully heartbreaking feel to many of these tracks – and the set's heavy focus on mellower numbers is totally great – and gives the whole thing a wonderful late nite sort of vibe that's usually quite hard to find in compilations like this. As usual, Numero's done a great job with the notes and history of the label – but the music alone is more than enough – a heady brew of cuts that include "Little Girl Blue" and "Try Loving Me" by The Webs, "I Gotta Know" by Tonettes, "Give Your Love To Me" and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Little Jr Jesse & The Tear Drops, "Cry & Wonder Why" by Doc & Sal, "Must Be Alright" and "Hey It's Love" by The Commands, "She's Gotta Have Soul" by Bobby Blackmon & The Soul Express, and "I Can't Take No More" by Willie Cooper & The Webs. CD

The first in a legendary run of Collectors Showcase records on the Constellation label – mid 60s efforts that pull together hard to find work from earlier years, all in a package that's almost as collectable as the originals! The set's presented by the Magnificent Montague in the liner notes, and it features work from a variety of artists, most on the Fire/Fury labels. Titles include "Do Re Mi" and "Ya Ya" by Lee Dorsey, "Wiggle Wobble" by Les Cooper, "Soul Twist" by King Curtis, "There's Something On Your Mind (parts 1 & 2)" by Bobby Marchan, "Fanny Mae" by Buster Brown, "I'm So Happy" by Teen Chords, and "Every Beat Of My Heart" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

There's a huge amount of early Philly soul here – lots of tracks from the classic years of the Cameo/Parkway label, plus a few other choice bits too – all wrapped up in a Northern Soul collection that owes almost nothing to the style of Detroit! The package features great tracks by obscure artists, and obscure tracks by bigger singers – brought together with the kind of top-shelf track selection that makes us love releases on the Outta Sight label so much. There's plenty here that goes way past the obvious – and titles include "Heartaches Away My Boy" by Christine Cooper, "Night Owl" by Bobby Paris, "Country Girl" by Vickie Baines, "Envy" by The Orlons, "You Didn't Say A Word" by Yvonne Baker, "Girl Don't Make Me Wait" by Bunny Sigler, "Packing Up" by Damon Fox, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Dee Sharp, "My Heart Your Heart" by Janie Grant, "Picture Me Gone" by Evie Sands, "Comin Home Baby" by Dee Dee Sharp, and "It's Rough Out There" by Jerry Jackson. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Coopers, Big Wheel, Sandra, Los Piratos, Bobby Green Selection, and Jay Jays. LP, Vinyl record album