Unreleased material by Ike & Tina Turner – hard, funky, and very fierce! The sound here is similar to some of the pair's more famous albums of the time – but it's also rawer and rootsier, as befits the demo status of these recordings. If you've ever gotten turned off by the production of some of Ike's studio records, you might well dig this one a lot – as it's got the raw funky promise that's often missing from other sets. CD features 17 cuts in all – and titles include "He Makes Me Holler", "Baby Makes Me Feel Good", "Ya Ya", "Sit & Hold Your Hand", "Money", "Brain Game", "It's Groovier Across The Line", "Proud Mary (funky version)", and "Woke Up This Morning". CD

... CD

Titles include "Hey Miss Tina", "Stringin Along", "I Miss You So", "Nobody Wants Me", "All The Blues All The Time", and "The Wild One". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – and one of the funkiest albums that Ike Turner ever recorded – done during a late 60s moment when his fame with Tina Turner was really on the rise – but much more like some funky 45 take on the pre-Tina work he'd been doing in the 50s! This set's a batch of obscure funky instrumentals – and sounds like a strong compilation of rare 45s, filled with hard funky drums, nice breaks, and plenty of super-tight grooves. Nearly every cut's a winner – and titles include "Black Angel", "Black Beauty", "Freedom Sound", "Ghetto Funk", "Funky Mule", "Nuttin' Up", "Scotty Souling", and "Thinking Black". With titles like that, you know the cuts have got to be good – and for one of the few times in his career, Ike actually delivers the funky goods! LP, Vinyl record album

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

Fantastic early work from the great Ike Turner – most of it with his sharp 50s group, during the years they were recording for King/Federal Records! These are the years before Tina joined Ike – and the group have a raw, romping vibe that's at the top of the R&B spectrum from the time – definitely with echoes of the soul and funk that Turner would help pioneer in the 60s, but with a much grittier postwar vibe overall! A fair bit of cuts feature vocals from Billy Gayles, and other titles include work from Clayton Love, Tommy Hodge, Jackie Brenston, and The Sly Fox – on titles that include "I'm Tore Up", "I'm Sad As A Man Can Be", "Take Your Fine Frame Home", "Just One More Time", "The Big Question", "She Made My Blood Run Cold", "Do You Mean It", "Hoo Doo Say", and "Rock A Bucket". CD

Ike Turner's plenty great on his own – but this sweet little set features Turner's raw guitar and soulful vocals in the company of a number of other 50s acts – all artists who worked alongside Ike in the underground of the time – and called him into work on their sessions! Given the grit in the grooves, and the personal energy in the music, the overall sound is hardly what you'd expect from the term "session man" – none of the slick 70s modes that might imply for a musician – and instead, a role that's much more that of a raw, rocking collaborator! Titles include "Ho Ho" by Icky Renrut, "Ain't Go No Home" by Starrs, "Peg Leg Woman" by Willie King, "Gypsy Blues" by Matt Cockrell, "I Ain't Drunk" by Lonnie The Cat, "Suffocate" by Johnny Wright, and "The Big Question" by Clayton Love. CD

Great stuff – and one of the funkiest albums that Ike Turner ever recorded – done during a late 60s moment when his fame with Tina Turner was really on the rise – but much more like some funky 45 take on the pre-Tina work he'd been doing in the 50s! This set's a batch of obscure funky instrumentals – and sounds like a strong compilation of rare 45s, filled with hard funky drums, nice breaks, and plenty of super-tight grooves. Nearly every cut's a winner – and titles include "Black Angel", "Black Beauty", "Freedom Sound", "Ghetto Funk", "Funky Mule", "Nuttin' Up", "Scotty Souling", and "Thinking Black". With titles like that, you know the cuts have got to be good – and for one of the few times in his career, Ike actually delivers the funky goods! CD

This album's not lying with the title – as it's a rootsy album of electric blues numbers. Searing guitar, raw drums, horns, bass and piano – played by Ike alone! . Titles include "The Things I Used To Do", "Right On", "Goin Home", "Think", "That's Alright", "Rockin Blues", and "If You Love Me Like You Say (You Wouldn't Treat Me Like You Do)". LP, Vinyl record album

Good UK comp of Ike's work for the Modern label in the 50's, including stuff he did under his name, and work he did with Billy Gayles, Lonnie The Cat, Lover Boy, and Jackie Brenston. Hear Ike's hardcore R&B edge, which is sharp as a tack here in the years before he hooked up with Tina. Tracks include "Rocket 88", "I Ain't Drunk", "Love is Scarce", "Night Howler", "Walk My Way Home", and "Early Times". CD

A very cool Japanese-only 2LP collection of work from this legendary duo – served up in a super-heavy cover! LP, Vinyl record album

Stellar material that Ike Turner produced in just a couple years for Modern Records – in many cases, with Ike also given the songwriting credit – New Orleans & LA recordings from '63-'65! Ike was one incredible vessel of pure musical talent and ingenuity – overshadowed badly by that red hot hell of a public and private life. That's a shame for a number of reasons, but the work speaks for itself. What's most incredible here, is that other voices speak for their own immense talent as well as Ike's work behind the scenes. It's get great, rare material by Ike & Tina Revue & Kings Of Rhythm members and others. 27 tracks in all: "Darkest Hour", "I Smell Trouble", "Feel So Good" and more by Jimmy Thomas, "All In My Mind" by Tina Turner, "In Love" by Jackie Brenston & The Ikettes, "That's All Right" and "You're So Fine" by Vernon Guy, "Think" by Bobby John & The Ikettes, "Walking Down The Aisle" by Ike Turner & The Ikettes and more. CD

A rare 60s cooker from The Raelets – showing the backing trio in great form away from their boss! The album's got an unusual format – in that 2/3 of the tracks are by the trio of female singers – but a remaining 1/3 is from Ike & Tina Turner – making a surprise appearance here on the Tangerine label at a time when they were really hopping around record companies! The mix of artists comes off well here – and almost makes the album sound like one of Ike's "revue" style sets on other labels. Titles include "I Get Along All Right", "All I Need Is Love", "A Lover's Blues", "Into Something Fine", "One Hurt Deserves Another", "One Room Paradise", and "It's Almost Here" by The Raelets – and "Beauty Is Just Skin Deep", "I'm Hooked", and "Anything You Wasn't Born With" by Ike & Tina Turner. LP, Vinyl record album

Previously unreleased music! CD

A record with maybe the most famous album cover ever used by Ike and Tina Turner – and a set that's maybe one of the rawest they ever cut as well! The material was done at a time when the couple were really riding high – but instead of going for a commercial or polished sound, they instead go deeply into the blues – maybe even more so than their earliest work from the days when Tina was just a singer in Ike's revue! The approach is one that's great for Tina's voice, and which has maybe a bit more of the electric blues of the Chicago scene than the usual sound that Ike might give a record – all put together in the studio with help from Bob Krasnow too. Titles include "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Mean Old World", "3 O'Clock In The Morning Blues", "Five Long Years", "Dust My Broom", "I Am A Motherless Child", "Crazy 'Bout You Baby", "Reconsider Baby", "Honest I Do", "Please Love Me", "My Babe", and "Rock Me Babe". LP, Vinyl record album

The Ike & Tina Turner Revue shakes the foundation at Carnegie Hall on April Fools Day, 1971! There's a good reason for there being so many live albums by Ike & Tina – it's because they're damn great on stage – and this NYC set is a strong showcase for The Ikettes and The Kings Of Rhythm, too! The group was riding a peak wave of popularity around this time, and they cover a wide variety of songs in a set that's masterfully-paced – starting out slow and building up intensity as it goes! Titles include the Ikettes-led "Piece Of My Heart" and "Everyday People", the thunderous Tina intro "Doin' The Tina Turner", "Sweet Soul Music", "Proud Mary", "I Smell Trouble", "Ike's Tune", "I Want To Take You Higher", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Respect" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of late Ike & Tina albums in a single package! Workin' Together is a pivotal album – one that has them still retaining some of the earthiness of earlier years, yet also honing their groove for the crossover audience that was digging them big at the end of the 60s! The best results of this shift is the increasing funk component in their music – a move away from R&B into a tighter 60s groove, one that often featured very strong guitar parts in its best incarnation. The set includes the classic "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "Ooh Poo Pah Doo", "Let It Be", "Goodbye So Long", "You Can Have It", "The Way You Love Me", "Get Back", and "Workin Together". Let Me Touch Your Mind is a fairly loose set of diverse material from the tumultuous duo, from the tender, lovely chorus backed and string accented grit of the title track to more stripped down, kinda country funk accented number. Includes "Annie Had A Baby", "Don't Believe Her", "Early One Morning", "Up On The Roof", "Heaven Help Us All" and more. CD

An original compilation from this great soul label – with work by Inez Foxx, Soul Sisters, The Matadors, Johnny Darrow, The Duals, Barbara George, Ike & Tina Turner, Jimmy McGriff, Baby Washington, and Bobby Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

Sock-hard early soul from the team of Ike & Tina Turner – a great little batch of tracks recorded back in their early years on Sue Records, when the duo was just starting to come on strong, and really came across with a heck of a lot of power! There's none of the simple tricks or fake soul of some of the pair's later recordings – just down and dirty R&B-styled 60s soul – recorded when Ike was at the height of his bandleading power, and Tina was singing in a mode that blew away most other female singers at the time. Titles include "It's Gonna Work Out Fine"," Gonna Find Me A Substitute", "Sleepless", "A Letter From Tina", "Worried & Hurtin Inside", "You Should've Treated Me Right", and the instrumentals "Prancin" and "The Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Massive work from Isaac Hayes – a hard and heavy soundtrack that we like even more than his classic work on Shaft! Unlike Shaft, Ike actually starred in the film Truck Turner – which may be one reason why he brought his full game to the table for the record – and scored a batch of badass tunes that still stand with some of the best funky soundtrack work of the 70s! The rhythm's especially hard on the best cuts – really crackling with a lot of intensity, and a stark, hard funky sound that's made the record a favorite of beatheads for years! Ike kicks it hard on cuts like "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile", "House Full Of Girls", "Drinking", "Give It To Me", "Now We're One", "Breakthrough", "House of Beauty", and the massive title cut "Truck Turner". LP, Vinyl record album

2 massive Isaac Hayes soundtracks in one set – both from the magical cinematic year of 1974! Truck Turner is a hard and heavy soundtrack that we like even more than his classic work on Shaft! Unlike Shaft, Ike actually starred in the film Truck Turner – which may be one reason why he brought his full game to the table for the record – and scored a batch of badass tunes that still stand with some of the best funky soundtrack work of the 70s! The rhythm's especially hard on the best cuts – really crackling with a lot of intensity, and a stark, hard funky sound that's made the record a favorite of beatheads for years! Ike kicks it hard on cuts like "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile", "House Full Of Girls", "Drinking", "Give It To Me", "Now We're One", "Breakthrough", "House of Beauty", and the massive title cut "Truck Turner". Tough Guys is deeper and more complicated than the groove of Shaft and Truck Turner, and filled with some great tunes that glow with color, life, and imagination – showing an Isaac Hayes that almost seems to be moving beyond the usual blackploitation groove! The album sports 2 really classic tunes – the title theme "Tough Guys", and the classic "Hung Up On My Baby" – both of which have a solidly funky feel that will more than please the usual soundtrack beathead crowd. But overall, the other tunes twist and turn in a delightful mix of modes – expanding on the soulful territory Ike first explored in his original soundtracks, and offering up a great range of moods and emotion. The album's got some especially great chromatic guitar work – and other titles include "Joe Bell", "Randolph & Dearborn", "Buns O Plenty", "Run Fay Run", and "Red Rooster". CD

A classic set of British soul by PP Arnold – LA native, and a onetime member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue who ended up staying behind in the UK after a mid 60s tour! The album's got a very interesting approach that's quite a bit more sophisticated than the sound of the Ike Turner group – with production by Andrew Loog Oldham, and rich arrangements by Tony Meehan that float in bits of Brit easy, and full-styled 60s pop orchestrations, alongside more righteous straighter soul backings – all for a mix that's great, and which makes this mod treasure a very different album than American soul of the period! Titles include "Letter To Bill", "Dreamin", "Eleanor Rigby", "As Tears Go By", "To Love Somebody", and a great version of "God Only Knows". CD

A classic set of British soul by PP Arnold – LA native, and a onetime member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue who ended up staying behind in the UK after a mid 60s tour! The album's got a very interesting approach that's quite a bit more sophisticated than the sound of the Ike Turner group – with production by Andrew Loog Oldham, and rich arrangements by Tony Meehan that float in bits of Brit easy, and full-styled 60s pop orchestrations, alongside more righteous straighter soul backings – all for a mix that's great, and which makes this mod treasure a very different album than American soul of the period! Titles include "Letter To Bill", "Dreamin", "Eleanor Rigby", "As Tears Go By", "To Love Somebody", and a great version of "God Only Knows". LP, Vinyl record album

An early hummer from one of the hardest male/female soul acts next to Ike & Tina Turner, but listed here under Inez's name. Inez & Charlie scored super big with their hit "Mockingbird" – the tune that kicks off this LP for a subsidiary of the Sue label – but they also had a style that could get them through a wide variety of material, grooving long past their hits, with great vocals up front, and plenty of hot guitar licks to keep the grooves rough! A dozen great numbers hee, including the title track and "Sitting Here", "Jaybirds", "The Ball Game", "Tom & Jim", "I See You My Love", "The Angels Got Together", "Broken Hearted Fool", "The Angels Got Together", "Searching For My CC", "Love Me Today" and "Talk With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Think The Beatles only had an impact on rock and pop fans in the America of the 60s? Think again – because their music had an undeniable impact on soul as well – as you'll here from this wonderful range of remakes of classic cuts from the Fab Four! The work here is a real surprise if you don't know the legacy – but it also really makes sense once you're reminded of the mind-expanding, ear-opening territory the group hit in the latter half of the 60s – and working with themes of social change, alienation, and personal longing – of the sort that turn out to be perfect for new interpretations in soul! Most of these cuts are way more than standard cover versions, too – as the arrangements are really inventive, and take off in bold new directions that make the songs very much new properties overall. Most of the work here is from the late 60s and early 70s – and as always with Ace Records, the notes and presentation really put the music in context! Titles include "The Fool On The Hill" by The Four Tops, "Dear Prudence" by The Five Stairsteps, "For No One" by Maceo & The King's Men, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Junior Parker, "Got To Get You Into My Life" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Do You Want To Know A Secret" by Mary Wells, "Lovely Rita" by Fats Domino, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Undisputed Truth, "Savoy Truffle" by Ella Fitzgerald, and "Let It Be" by Bill Withers. CD

With selections by Howlin' Wolf, Ma Rainey, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm, Lou Sargent, Johnny Cash, Warren Smith, Carl Perkins, Billy Love, James Cotton, and Frank Frost. 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

One of Isaac Hayes' richest soundtracks – deeper and more complicated than the groove of Shaft and Truck Turner, and filled with some great tunes that glow with color, life, and imagination – showing an Isaac Hayes that almost seems to be moving beyond the usual blackploitation groove! The album sports 2 really classic tunes – the title theme "Tough Guys", and the classic "Hung Up On My Baby" – both of which have a solidly funky feel that will more than please the usual soundtrack beathead crowd. But overall, the other tunes twist and turn in a delightful mix of modes – expanding on the soulful territory Ike first explored in his original soundtracks, and offering up a great range of moods and emotion. The album's got some especially great chromatic guitar work – and other titles include "Joe Bell", "Randolph & Dearborn", "Buns O Plenty", "Run Fay Run", and "Red Rooster". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Amii Stewart, Commodores, Temptations, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Joe Baatan, Thelma Houston, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Big T Tyler, the Five Keys, Illinois Jacquet, Louis Jordan, Pigmeat Markham, Ike & Tina Turner, Amos Milburn, Cleo Brown, T Bone Walker, Floyd Dixon & more. CD

Latin grooves from the 60s and 70s – most from hard-to-find sides cut for Atlantic Records! Like the first volume, this one dips into some excellent material that was only ever briefly issued on LP – and it mixes it with some overlooked Latin cuts on albums by jazz and soul artists from the same time. The groove's got a tight 60s beat to it – with plenty of Latin Soul riffing, and even a bit of funk in the mix. Titles include "His Groove" and "King Kong" by Eddie Cano & Nino Tempo, "Watusi Boogaloo" and "Light & Sweet" by Willie Rosario, "Are You Sure" by Freedom Sounds, "Ghetto Funk" by Ike Turner, "Blood Shot" by Hubert Laws, "Devilette" by Dave Pike, and "Hip Hug Her" by Mongo Santamaria. LP, Vinyl record album

Produced and arranged by Ike Turner! Titles include "Funky Blues", "Cross Cut Saw", "Drivin Wheel", "Shuffle", "Boogie Don't Blot", and "The Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget Tina Turner – we'll take Ike's backup singers, who sound great all the way through this collection! The Ikettes may never have had the fame of Tina, but back in the early and mid 60s, they were actually scoring a few more hits – and these recordings for the Modern label represent the group at their height – stepping firmly into righteous soul territory, shaking off any girl group cliches, and avoiding any of the stereotypes that could sometimes mar Ike Turner's projects. There's a really special sound here – one that's got bits of Motown, bits of R&B, and bits of Northern Soul – all wrapped together perfectly and delivered with sock-solid vocals from singers Robbie Montgomery, Jessie Smith, and Venetta Fields. The CD features all the material from the girls' full album for Modern – Soul The Hits – plus loads of other singles and even some unissued tracks! Titles include "Fine Fine Fine", "Camel Walk", "Sally Go Round The Roses", "Cheater", "You're Trying To Make Me Lose My Mind", "I'm So Thankful", "Don't Feel Sorry For Me", "Can't Sit Down Cos I Feel So Good", "Lonely For You", "Sha La La", "It's Been So Long", and "Nobody Loves Me". CD

Rare work from the early years of soul music – and a special set that focuses on sounds created in and around Los Angeles – a city that's not nearly as well known for 60s soul as Chicago, Detroit, or New Orleans! Yet during the postwar years, LA had just as much going on as those eastern cities – a huge new population influx, who'd move over from the south during the wartime years – and new labels that had cropped up to capture their sounds and serve their audience! 50s LA was already humming with R&B material, which gave the rising styles of soul plenty of places to get recorded – so much so, that there's even some work on this set that was never issued at the time! The vibe is great – similar to other Birth Of Soul sets from Ace/Kent – in that the music carries a bit of R&B and blues bite from earlier years, mixed with more romping and tighter soul styles – in a smoking set list of 24 tracks that include "But What About My Broken Heart" by Don Wyatt, "Everybody's Got A Lover But Me" by Richard Berry, "Have You Heard" by The Vows, "With These Hands" by The Wonders, "You Better Watch Out Girl" by The Imperialites, "Lose My Cool" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Let Him Walk Away" by Darlene Love, "My Pillow" by The Numbers, "Help Me With My Broken Heart" by Sylvester Stewart, "That Other Guy" by The Mandarins, "Don't Drop It" by The Question Marks, and "Young Lover" by Wilks & Wilkerson. CD

Covers by the Flying Burrito Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, the Mekons, Flamin' Groovies, Marianne Faithfull, Gene Pitney, Otis Redding, Bryan Ferry, and others – 24 tracks total. 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

With selections by Love, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Earl Hooker, Robbie Basho, Aynsley Dunbar, Albert Collins, Ike & Tina Turner, Fred McDowell, Bossa Rio, Southwind, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

54 tracks from this rare Chicago blues label – including some unissued material! Music from Otis Rush, the Clouds, Shakey Horton, Sunnyland Slim, Little Willie Foster, Harold Burrage, Magic Sam, Betty Everett, Shakey Jake & Willie Dixon Band, Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm, Buddy Guy, and more. CD

A great little set from T-Bone – recorded at the end of the 60s, with a lineup that includes other blues musicians like Joe Turner, Otis Spann, and George Harmonica Smith, plus jazz funk players like Paul Humphrey and Ernie Watts! The vibe is very laidback – and most tracks on the album stretch out in an extended free-form style that's quite unusual compared to T-Bone's other records. As usual, his guitar and vocals are very soulful – and titles include "Paris Blues", "Blues Jam", and "Jot's Blues". A real gem on Flying Dutchman/Bluestime. CD

A great little set from T-Bone – recorded at the end of the 60s, with a lineup that includes other blues musicians like Joe Turner, Otis Spann, and George Harmonica Smith, plus jazz funk players like Paul Humphrey and Ernie Watts! The vibe is very laidback – and most tracks on the album stretch out in an extended free-form style that's quite unusual compared to T-Bone's other records. As usual, his guitar and vocals are very soulful – and titles include "Paris Blues", "Blues Jam", and "Jot's Blues". A real gem on Flying Dutchman/Bluestime. LP, Vinyl record album

Majestic music from tenorist Mark Turner – a set that has him soaring gently with trumpeter Avishai Cohen, a partner who really seems to make the record sparkle! The group's a quartet, with no piano – just Joe Martin on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums – and the tenor and trumpet do a great job of carving lines in open space, but with a fullness and focus that's quite different than an ECM date like this might have sounded decades back. The record really lives up to Turner's great legacy, but also has a unique sort of power as well – and all tunes are original compositions, with titles that include "Lathe Of Heaven", "Sonnet For Stevie", "Brother Sister 2", "Ethan's Line", and "The Edenist". CD

Keyboardist Julius Brockington really takes off here – in a style that's not quite funk, not quite jazz – and which has some of the unique sophisticated changes that Gene Harris was bringing to his Blue Note records in the mid 70s! Like Gene, Julius already has a strong background on the keys – and here, he's able to open up and create all sorts of new rhythms in his music – working on organ, piano, and even a bit of Arp – in a combo that features Steve Turner on alto and flute, Jim Wilson on trumpet, and Garry Langston on guitar! The vibe is great – sophisticated, but funky too – and very unusual compared to other albums of the time. All the material is original – and titles include "Gettin' Into It", "Lost Tribe", "Jaded Jackie", and "In the Back of the Churchyard". CD

A totally great collection of rare material from the Bluestime label – a rare rootsy side of the Flying Dutchman imprint at the start of the 70s! Flying Dutchman is a well-remembered label for its rich array of funk and jazz titles – and although Bluestime worked in the blues side of the spectrum, most of these numbers are pretty darn funky too – thanks to some shared musicians and production talents with the main Flying Dutchman scene. In other words, the tracks are all pretty darn hip – and way way more than blues – really more funk tunes that have a gritty, raspy edge – like those rare few times when Chess Records' bluesmen got nice and funky. Titles include "I'm A Dues Payin Man" by Optis Spann, "Every Day I Have The Blues" by T-Bone Walker, "Plastic Man" by Joe Turner, "Love" by Harmonica Slim, "Paris Blues" by The Super Black Blues Band, "I Wonder Why" by Otis Spann, "Something So Bright" by Malcolm & Chris, "That's Alright" by Harmonica Slim, Chicago Charva Chapter" by The Plaster Caster Blues Band, "Disillusion Blues" by Leon Thomas, and "For BB King" by T-Bone Walker. CD

Fantastic sounds from the years before reggae became the international sound of Jamaica – music from the island nation's jazz scene, which was at the crossroads of so many different styles of music – jazz from the north, Latin rhythms from Cuba and Puerto Rico, and a fair bit of other Caribbean sounds too – all of which filter through the wonderful collection of music on the set! The title breaks down the different genres featured – but there's often a surprisingly unified feel to the whole record too – one that stands partly as a testament to the musical strengths of all the performers involved! In the days before Trojan and Studio One, Federal Records was an important Jamaican label – and did an especially great job of capturing some of the sounds that were part of that nation's club culture and resorts in the 60s. Titles include "Angelima" and "Like Falling In Love" by Ernest Ranglin, "Profile Cha Cha" and "Rhumbina" by Cecil Lloyd & The Starline Troubadors, "Estrellita" and "I Love Paris" by The Lennie Hibbert Combo, "Tis Wonderful" by Eric Grant, "Linstead Market" by Baba Motta & Ernest Ranglin, "Wheel & Turn Me" by Bertie King, "Go Fife Go" by Count Owen, "Mango Walk" by Bertie King & Ernest Ranglin, "String Of Pearls" by Auldey Williams & His Orchestra, "Solas Market" by Baba Motta, and "Monday Monday" by Winston Turner Quintet. LP, Vinyl record album

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. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful session from bassist Leroy Vinnegar – different than some of his other, straighter sides – in that the lineup here is full of wonderful up-and-coming players, plus some key cool forces on the LA scene! The album features vibes from a very young Roy Ayers – working here on one of his first sessions ever – and also features trumpet from Freddy Hill, piano from Mike Melvoin, tenor from Teddy Edwards, and both piano and vibes from Victor Feldman – topped with drums from either Ron Jefferson or Milt Turner, depending on the tracks. Tunes are nice and long, and include some great originals – in a lineup that includes "Restin In Jail", "Motherland", "Hard To Find", "Down Under", "For Carl", and "Wheelin & Dealin". 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 soaring blend of rare club tracks from the glory days of the American disco underground – music that was cut in the deep shadows of the mainstream market at the time, and which has gone on to have a lot longer staying power too! The cuts here are all from very obscure releases on tiny labels around the country – most so small, the records were issued on 7" singles, not the usual 12" club DJ release – which has made them even more overlooked in the passing decades, given that so many collectors of this sort of music are digging for the larger format! Yet interest in rare club from the pre-house years has never been stronger – and a set like this is a great way to glimpse a scene that was out of reach even to most folks who were around at the time – a smoking set of 17 groovers that include "Can You Dig It" by Teakwood, "Bay Trippin" by Parnassus, "Come Along With Me & Party" by Monofide, "I Wanna Dance" by Compton Hodge, "Feel In" by The Unit III, "My Woman My Woman" by Joshua Jackson, "She's The One" by Nature, "Bronco Queen" by Van Buren, and "Sport City Rock" by Earl Turner. CD

A really beautiful set that was issued on a sub-label of UK folk powerhouse Transatlantic – yet a set that's nicely different than some of the better-known work from that label! Ian Hunt and John Thomas both play acoustic guitars, and add in a bit of bass and light percussion – in a stripped-down style that has all the elements of folk, but sounds nothing like it – as there's a much cooler post-60s vibe – not really singer/songwriter, but this sense of intimacy and adult approaches to the music that's very special – maybe a bit like the team of Lambert & Nuttycombe, yet very much in the group's own spirit. The duo really transform the material they touch – as evidenced on their great version of "Living Without You" – heard here next to titles that include "Hold Me Know", "Silver Lady", "We Say We're Happy", "Mr Bojangles", "Older Now & Younger Then", "Morning For Eve", and "Rockfield Rag". CD

An excellent lost bit of funky soul! The Turner Brothers were an obscure Indianapolis combo who played hard funky instrumental grooves – similar to hometown contemporaries like the Nineteenth Whole or Funk Inc – and they mixed up tight ensemble playing with good jazzy soloing on sax, keyboards, and guitars. They also sang pretty well, too – and different members of the group take over lead vocals on about half of the tracks on this debut release by the band. The style of singing ranges from sweet to deep, but it's pretty good overall, and is always a great match for the style of instrumentation used on each track. Highlights include the killer drum breakbeat at the beginning of "Sweetest Thing In The World", the spacey keyboards of "Sound Of The Taurus", the tight ensemble grooves of "Running In The Rain", and the strident soulful feel of "Cause I Love You". Very nice – and one that we never see on the original vinyl! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent lost bit of funky soul! The Turner Brothers were an obscure Indianapolis combo who played hard funky instrumental grooves – similar to hometown contemporaries like the Nineteenth Whole or Funk Inc – and they mixed up tight ensemble playing with good jazzy soloing on sax, keyboards, and guitars. They also sang pretty well, too – and different members of the group take over lead vocals on about half of the tracks on this debut release by the band. The style of singing ranges from sweet to deep, but it's pretty good overall, and is always a good match for the style of instrumentation used on each track. Highlights include the killer drum breakbeat at the beginning of "Sweetest Thing In The World", the spacey keyboards of "Sound Of The Taurus", the tight ensemble grooves of "Running In The Rain", and the strident soulful feel of "Cause I Love You". CD

Danny Turner and Manny Boyd on alto saxophone and flute, John Williams on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Bill Hughes on bass trombone, Charlton Johnson on guitar, George Caldwell on piano, Doug Miller and Kenny Hing on tenor saxophone and flute, Clarence Banks, Robert Trowers, and Mel Wanzo on trombone, Bob Ojeda, Derrick Gardner, Melton Mustafa, and Mike Williams on trumpet, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and David Gibson on drums. CD

The first album to document a great new chapter in the career of drummer Billy Hart – his ultra-hip quartet with saxophonist Mark Turner and pianist Ethan Iverson – both younger players who have brought back a real edge to his music! The group has a very different feel than some of the other recent "revival" projects by older jazz drummers – and the focus here is extremely equal, if not even more heavily weighted towards, the younger members of the group. Turner's tenor has all the dark tones and edgey post-Shorter modes heard on his best albums under his own name – and Iverson's angular piano lines revel in a style that's almost in the legacy of Andrew Hill, but more swinging overall. Hart's rhythms are as fluid and complex as ever – making nice use of the cymbals on the fringe, but returning home to the core of the kit when a tighter groove is needed. Titles include "Mellow B", "Lorca", "Irah", "Lullaby For Mike", "Iverson's Odyssey", "Neon", "Charvez", and "Moment's Notice". CD

Way more than just "hits" – given that this hip box set features tracks from every single 12" released by the legendary P&P family of labels – a massive amount of underground dancefloor work from the late 70s and early 80s, and a set that gives new meaning to the word discography! If you know even just a bit of the P&P sound, you'll know you've got a revolutionary listening experience in store – music that goes way beyond conventional club and disco, with lots of weird little twists and turns – in both the instrumentation and production, which often use these cool little homemade spacey touches! Vocals are often right in synch with the offbeat grooves – and just about every cut on here is massively funky, too. Package features work by Cloud One, Milton Floyd, Sons Of Darkness, Jesse Gee, Scoopy, Rudy Stuart, Little Scotty, Henry Brooks, Fly Guy, Ahzz, Super Jay, Otis Turner, Sherod, The Destiny Orchestra, Bobby Mann, and many others – from singles that originally appeared on labels like Queen Constance, La Shawn, Land Of Hits, Golden Flamingo, Heavenly Star, Clarence, Destiny, Mr Brown, P&P, Sound Of New York, and others. 185 songs, on 15 CDs, packaged in cool slim sleeves in a tight box set – over 18 hours of music, and all of it great! CD

Really beautiful work from trumpeter Jason Palmer – a fresh young talent, and a hell of a writer too! The tracks here are each based on special places for Palmer – and are each written with a very different feel – not in a way that's gimmicky at all, but which really show the expansive experience and levels of expression that Jason has in his music! The other group members are as sharp as the leader – and include Mark Turner on alto, Godwin Louis on alto, Mike Moreno on guitar, Edward Perez on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums – all musicians who help make the record one of the most solid, well-conceived records on Steeplechase in a while. Titles include "Falling In", "Urban Renewal", "Rising Sign", "Silver", "American Deceptionalism", "Berlin", and "Bern". CD

One of the nicest records we've heard from Enrico Rava in years – a set that's still filled with the pensive, open-ended lines he's crafted for ECM – yet which also seems to have a bit more soul, too – almost a return to some of Rava's modes from the 70s! The group's a quintet – with some especially great tenor from Mark Turner, who deepens the sound nicely, and manages to break free from some of his own darker modes – which might normally come to the forefront in a set like this – and alongside Rava's always-great trumpet, he provides this rich sonic path through the record, over rhythms from Stefano Bollani on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. Tracks are long, and titles include "Count Dracula", "Thank You Come Again", "Luna Urbana", "Lady Orlando", "Outsider", "Lulu", and "Certi Angoli Segreti" – plus two nicely loose "Improvisation" tracks. CD

A hell of a tribute to the songwriting genius of Dolly Parton – a side of her talents that's sometimes obscured by her incredible voice and overwhelming personality! Yet right from the start, long before she was a superstar, Dolly was as much a writer in country music as she was a singer of songs – and her early records are filled with gems that opened up a whole new space for the female voice not just in country music, but in other styles too – as testified by the mix of soul, rock, and other modes that appear on this set! Dolly kicks off the collection with one of her hits – but the package then spans decades to bring together a range of really wonderful readings of songs from the pen of Parton – all accompanied by detailed notes on every selection in the set. Titles include "I Will Always Love You" by Linda Ronstadt, "Two Doors Down" by Zella Lahr, "In The Good Old Days" by The Everly Brothers, "Here I Am" by Percy Sledge, "Nickels & Dimes" by Buck Owens, "I Loved So Fast & Hard" by Porter Wagoner, "There'll Always Be Music" by Tina Turner, "My Tennessee Mountain Home" by Maria Muldaur, "Little Sparrow" by Bettye Lavette, "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" by Bill Phillips, "Most Of All Why" by Holly Dunn, "I'm In No Condition" by Hank Williams Jr, "Touch Your Woman" by Margie Joseph, "Kentucky Gambler" by Merle Haggard, "Coat Of Many Colors" by Emmylou Harris, "Don't Let It Trouble Your Mind" by Rhiannon Giddens, and "Love Is Like A Butterfly" by Nana Mouskouri. CD