A definite set of crown jewels from the Big Crown label – especially as most of these gems were only ever around as funky 45s – some now gone forever, and all compiled on this nicely-priced full length set! The package shows the real evolution of Big Crown in recent years – as they have moved from just the funk and soul of their roots into a range of other styles too – including a bit of garage, Latin Soul, and other modes too! Titles here reflect that change in a great way – and titles include "Veolodrome" by Surprise Chef, "The Otherside" by Bobby Oroza, "Grateful" by El Michels Affair & Black Thought, "Joy & Pain (Pete Rock rmx)" by Lady Wray, "So Low" by Synthia, "The Healer" by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, "Ain't That The Way" by Holy Hive, "Trip To Japan" by The Shacks, "Awkward (take 2)" by El Michels Affair meets Liam bailey, "Beri Cinta Waktu" by Thee Marloes, and "Love & Flowers" by Les Imprimes. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – and the kind of rare LA bop session that got totally lost because it was never packaged properly! This obscure set was issued by the Crown label under a number of names – both the Conte Candoli All Stars and Vince Guaraldi – and the group includes Conte Candoli, Buddy Collette, Vince Guaraldi, Leroy Vinnegar, and Stan Levey – all playing with a fantastically tight and incredibly soulful bop groove, of the sort you always hear them credited for, but which you can never find on any of their snoozy more famous records. Vince Guaraldi plays some incredibly soulful piano, in a manner that's very different than his Fantasy recordings – and he's playing here with a killer group of LA players who deliver some of their finest recorded work! Trust us, the session's a gem – and it's one of those you can put on and surprise your friends, and yourself! Tracks include "Muggin The Minor", "Mambo Diane", "Macedonia", and "Little David". CD

Excellent work from one of the funkiest steel bands around – a totally hip combo who just seem to be getting better and better with each new release! This time around, they've stepped up the beats even more than before – mixing their 70s funk and steel drum work with just a slight current from hip hop production – all of which almost makes you feel like Wu-Tang made a trip to the Caribbean, then came back with these tapes as a result! There's also some additionally cool touches in the horns – used with maybe some slight Ethio jazz inflections at points – alongside other elements that really help move the Bacao aesthetic forward in a mighty nice way. Titles include "Hotline Bling", "Grilled", "How We Do", "Hazy Memories", "In The Crosshairs", "The Champion's Walk", and a very cool take on the "Stranger Things Theme"! CD

Excellent work from one of the funkiest steel bands around – a totally hip combo who just seem to be getting better and better with each new release! This time around, they've stepped up the beats even more than before – mixing their 70s funk and steel drum work with just a slight current from hip hop production – all of which almost makes you feel like Wu-Tang made a trip to the Caribbean, then came back with these tapes as a result! There's also some additionally cool touches in the horns – used with maybe some slight Ethio jazz inflections at points – alongside other elements that really help move the Bacao aesthetic forward in a mighty nice way. Titles include "Hotline Bling", "Grilled", "How We Do", "Hazy Memories", "In The Crosshairs", "The Champion's Walk", and a very cool take on the "Stranger Things Theme"! LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a freaky sort of cover, but one that's got this very laidback, down to earth vibe – almost like a small funk combo taking on territory from 70s AOR, but serving things up with a much looser, easygoing sort of style! The vocals are great – blue-eyed soul, and compressed down into the instrumentation, which includes keyboards, guitar, and light strings – plus occasional flute and trumpet – all handled with this stripped-down vibe that almost makes you feel like you're sitting in with a big label act like America or Hall & Oates as they're cooking up some mellow soul tracks in the studio. Titles include "Rialto Winds", "Gift Of Life", "Peach Optimo", "Hanging On", "NyNy", "I Will Be", and "Too Yung". CD

A record with a freaky sort of cover, but one that's got this very laidback, down to earth vibe – almost like a small funk combo taking on territory from 70s AOR, but serving things up with a much looser, easygoing sort of style! The vocals are great – blue-eyed soul, and compressed down into the instrumentation, which includes keyboards, guitar, and light strings – plus occasional flute and trumpet – all handled with this stripped-down vibe that almost makes you feel like you're sitting in with a big label act like America or Hall & Oates as they're cooking up some mellow soul tracks in the studio. Titles include "Rialto Winds", "Gift Of Life", "Peach Optimo", "Hanging On", "NyNy", "I Will Be", and "Too Yung". LP, Vinyl record album

A really different groove from El Michels Affair – but one that reminds us again that the group is really amazing at just about anything they ever try to do! The adult themes here are modes borrowed from older European styles – some of the slinky funk of Serge Gainsbourg and some of his contemporaries, mixed with maybe a touch of Euro erotic film scoring – but all given that strong undercurrent of funk that we can always expect from Leon Michels and the group – arranged and produced with a really superb quality throughout! The drums are nice and heavy, the basslines sexy and slinky, and there's some occasional wordless female vocals and larger arrangements that really expand the palette of El Michels. Titles include "Enfant", "Villa", "Kill The Lights", "Life Of Pablo", "A Swift Nap", "Munecas", "Rubix", "Hipps", and a number of "Adult Theme" tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A lean take on the double-length self-titled set from this mighty funky combo – one that brings together a range of great funky 45s, plus a few other hefty nuggets! If you don't know the group, they're totally great – as Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band go back to the funkiest moments of the 70s steel pan scene from the Caribbean – but also have a harder edge that comes from the group's ties to the Mighty Mocambos, and other corners of the deep funk universe! These cuts are funk first, steel drums second – and have a wicked groove that's actually hipper than most of the original steel drum records from back in the day. Titles include "Queen Of Cheeba", "Port Of Spain Hustle", "Tender Trap", "Dog Was A Doughnut", "Beetham Highway Ride", "Pimp", "Bacao Suave", "Jungle Fever", and "Tropical Heat". LP, Vinyl record album

El Michels return again to the Wu-Tang chambers – and the results this time might even be better than before! Wu-Tang forged their initial sound out of a love of offbeat samples and unusual funk – so it's only fitting that one of the hippest funk groups around strip the music right down to its roots – performing new live interpretations with their wickedly sinister groove – all at a level that makes the whole thing a slow funk masterpiece from start to finish! El Michels has always been one of the few real standouts in the deep funk scene – and it's records like this that keep us loving them so much. And even though the set features vocals from Lee Fields on two tracks, and Lady Wray on one more – the instrumental groove is what dominates and draws our ears, on tracks that include "Tears", "Sipped Up", "Shadow Boxing", "Iron Man", "4th Chamber", "Shaolin Brew", "Drums For Sale", "Verbal Intercourse", "Tearz", and "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin Ta F Wit". LP, Vinyl record album

Leon Michels has given us plenty of hip hop-inspired funk over the years, but this might be his first real hip hop project overall – a stunning set that mixes the live instrumentation of El Michels Affair with rhymes from Black Thought of The Roots – all at a level that might well set a new standard for both styles of music! The grooves are great – that subtle sense of drama that Michels always brings to the music – informed by old school action scores, but with the lean energy of a funky 45 – and although Black Thought has had live backing before, the El Michels approach here really seems to unlock something different in his vocals – maybe more power and drama than we might have guessed. Titles include "I'm Still Somehow", "Miracle", "Glorious Game", "That Girl", "The Weather", "I Would Never", "Grateful", and "Hollow Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A really new setting for the vocals of singer Liam Bailey – and one that's a bit different for El Michels Affair! The group here are still very funky, and filled with all the fantastic sonic touches that we've always loved from leader Leon Michels – but the setting is more in a reggae mode, with lots of dubby elements at the bottom that are balanced out by soulful falsetto vocals from Liam – sometimes in a way that's heavily processed, sometimes a bit more straight up in the mix! As always with El Michels, the whole thing is like hearing the sounds of the past, but refracted with a unique contemporary vision – topped off here with guest work from Lee Scratch Perry and Black Thought too. Titles include "Conquer & Divide", "Ugly Truths", "Faded", "Lucky Man", "I Love NY", "Superstar", "Angel Face", "Walk With Me", "King", and "No One Else". LP, Vinyl record album

Leon Michels has given us plenty of hip hop-inspired funk over the years, but this might be his first real hip hop project overall – a stunning set that mixes the live instrumentation of El Michels Affair with rhymes from Black Thought of The Roots – all at a level that might well set a new standard for both styles of music! The grooves are great – that subtle sense of drama that Michels always brings to the music – informed by old school action scores, but with the lean energy of a funky 45 – and although Black Thought has had live backing before, the El Michels approach here really seems to unlock something different in his vocals – maybe more power and drama than we might have guessed. Titles include "I'm Still Somehow", "Miracle", "Glorious Game", "That Girl", "The Weather", "I Would Never", "Grateful", and "Hollow Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Only a six track record, but one that delivers more funky punch than most full length sets – thanks to the group's wonderful blend of vibes, keyboards, and fuzzy guitar! There's no vocals at all, and the proceedings are nice and lean – grounded by funky drums and superb work on bass – which really lets the keys and vibes do some especially nice things – adding in tones and colors you're not likely to find on other funky records of this type, and which are almost more the stuff of larger arrangements – yet winnowed down here to a cool lean groove! Titles include "Spiky Boi", "Pash Rash", "Talent Stick", "Rosemary Hemphill", "Friendship Theme", and "Over The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from one of the funkiest steel bands around – a totally hip combo who just seem to be getting better and better with each new release! This time around, they've stepped up the beats even more than before – mixing their 70s funk and steel drum work with just a slight current from hip hop production – all of which almost makes you feel like Wu-Tang made a trip to the Caribbean, then came back with these tapes as a result! There's also some additionally cool touches in the horns – used with maybe some slight Ethio jazz inflections at points – alongside other elements that really help move the Bacao aesthetic forward in a mighty nice way. Titles include "Hotline Bling", "Grilled", "How We Do", "Hazy Memories", "In The Crosshairs", "The Champion's Walk", and a very cool take on the "Stranger Things Theme"! LP, Vinyl record album

Funky genius from a mighty unique group – one who've drunk deep on the classic steel band sounds of the 70s, but who've also refined that groove with a contemporary funk approach too! The group's the brainchild of Bjorn Wagner – who you might know from The Mighty Mocambos – and the sound here is every bit as well-crafted as that combo, but with the difference of steel drums in the mix! The drums provide most of the melodic elements, while the funky backings kick things up nicely – all at a level that's maybe even funkier than some of the best funky steel drum albums of the 70s – especially across the space of the entire album. Titles include "Xxplosive", "Touchdown", "Burn", "Real Hot", "Hoola Hoop", "1 Thing", "Crockett Theme", "Bocas Del Dragon", "Bushfire", and "I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A short set of work from El Michels Affair – but as with most of their records, a set that delivers a heck of a lot more than you'd get from other groups in their scene! If the cover looks a bit familiar, it's because the cuts here were recorded during the sessions for the Yeti Season album, but didn't get issued at the time – but they've got a weirder, wilder vibe than that record too – almost as if the already-trippy funk of El Michels were run through a special filter to make things sound even more exotic, yet all without ever losing the groove! Titles include "Poison Song", "Progress", "Nasir", "Messy Grass", "Cham Cham", "Uncut Gem", "Smoked", and "Running Hot". LP, Vinyl record album

A new and amazing chapter in the always-evolving sound of this wonderful funk ensemble – a set that holds onto all the unusual elements of previous records, but also brings in some beautiful vocals from singer Piya Malik on a number of tracks! Malik really fleshes out the sound on the numbers she handles – and the overall style is very hard to pin down – a globe's worth of influences, as El Michels blend together post-Wu Tang, post-Ethiopiques, post-Arabesk modes – yet all infused with a classic sense of funk that's not only very faithful to the 70s, but also has a cinematic sense of majesty! The blend is great – and Piya really helps open up the sound on the album's vocal tracks – served up in a mix of titles that include "Dhuaan", "Lesson Learned", "Murkit Gem", "Fazed Out", "Ala Vida", "Unathi", "Last Blast", "Zaharila", and "Silver Lining". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover's a bit unusual for a single by El Michels Affair, and the music is too – especially given that group here work with singer Piya Malik – whose entrancing vocals really bring a new sound to their groove! "Unathi" has some elements that are in the familiar El Michel's mode – that swirling exotic take on funk – but the vocals really transform the tune, and give it all sorts of different points of energy in a really great way. "Zaharila" is a bit mellower and mooder – but still has the same wonderful sort of east-meets-west approach! 7-inch, Vinyl record

We've loved the music of Lee Fields for many many years – but these days, he seems to be sounding even better than ever – taking all of his decades of experience in soul music, and blending his deep soul roots with an even more mature, open sort of style! And even though Lee's early work was great, we never would have imagined the greatness he can hit with a record like this – a set that draws on so many currents of classic soul, but finds a way to make a statement that's totally personal, totally original, and totally out of sight all the way through! Fields has a fantastic raspy vocal style, but he never just lets that stand as his calling card – because he's really bringing new inflections, new inspirations to the music – all while working with superb backing from Leon Michels and The Expressions. If you can imagine Hi Records mixed with James Brown mixed with New Jersey soul mixed with Daptone mixed with The Impressions – then you've only got part of the multi-faceted genius of this set. Titles include "Two Faces", "You're What's Needed In My Life", "Love Prisoner", "Will I Get Off Easy", "It Rains Love", "Love Is The Answer", "A Promise Is A Promise", and "Blessed With The Best". CD features the bonus track "Don't Give Up". CD

We've loved the music of Lee Fields for many many years – but these days, he seems to be sounding even better than ever – taking all of his decades of experience in soul music, and blending his deep soul roots with an even more mature, open sort of style! And even though Lee's early work was great, we never would have imagined the greatness he can hit with a record like this – a set that draws on so many currents of classic soul, but finds a way to make a statement that's totally personal, totally original, and totally out of sight all the way through! Fields has a fantastic raspy vocal style, but he never just lets that stand as his calling card – because he's really bringing new inflections, new inspirations to the music – all while working with superb backing from Leon Michels and The Expressions. If you can imagine Hi Records mixed with James Brown mixed with New Jersey soul mixed with Daptone mixed with The Impressions – then you've only got part of the multi-faceted genius of this set. Titles include "Two Faces", "You're What's Needed In My Life", "Love Prisoner", "Will I Get Off Easy", "It Rains Love", "Love Is The Answer", "A Promise Is A Promise", and "Blessed With The Best". LP, Vinyl record album

There's a great mix of modes going on here – as the well-crafted vocals of Bobby Oroza get a special setting for the album – recording in the studios of Timmion Records, with super-dope production from Cold Diamond & Mink! If you know the feel of a CD&M recording, you'll know what's going on here – laidback funky soul in a lean style that echoes some of the older styles of the east coast indie scene of the early 70s – but with some nicely offbeat contemporary touches too! Bobby plays organ, keyboards, and vibes – and the group features more vibes and guitar from Seppo Salmi, bass from Sami Kantelinen, and even a bit of flute from Jimi Tenor! Titles include "Bobby's New Mood", "I Got Love", "My Place My Time", "Sweet Agony", "Passing Thing", "Through These Tears", "Real Connection", and "Soon Everyone Will Know". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of which takes up a side of the record, both driving the band to new solo heights with a very hip edge! Players include the usual cream of the crop of European jazz residents – like Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Woods, Tony Coe, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks include "Uno Graso De Areia", "A Rosa Negra", "Olhos Negros", "Cara Bruja", and "Fiebre Cuban". Wonderful all the way through – and always a treasure! One of the shining jewels in the crown of MPS – and a Gilles P classic all the way through! CD

Kendrick Lamarr waited quite a long time to give the world a follow-up to his classic DAMN – and for good reason too, as the rapper's been on a long personal journey that's documented strongly on the record! The Kendrick heard here is much more introspective than before – and that's saying a lot, given his previous approach – and tunes here deal with issues of personal struggle, healing, and redemption – but all with the kind of sharp edges and sense of fragility that keeps the record from ever feeling to smug or full of itself. Opinions started flying about the record right from the start, and there's plenty here to build your own understanding too – on titles that include "Father Time", "Die Hard", "United In Grief", "We Cry Together", "Count Me Out", "Purple Hearts", "Rich Spirit", "Crown", "Savior", and "Silent Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

Kendrick Lamarr waited quite a long time to give the world a follow-up to his classic DAMN – and for good reason too, as the rapper's been on a long personal journey that's documented strongly on the record! The Kendrick heard here is much more introspective than before – and that's saying a lot, given his previous approach – and tunes here deal with issues of personal struggle, healing, and redemption – but all with the kind of sharp edges and sense of fragility that keeps the record from ever feeling to smug or full of itself. Opinions started flying about the record right from the start, and there's plenty here to build your own understanding too – on titles that include "Father Time", "Die Hard", "United In Grief", "We Cry Together", "Count Me Out", "Purple Hearts", "Rich Spirit", "Crown", "Savior", and "Silent Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of work from Bob Brookmeyer – tracing the development of his sound in the 50s through a variety of different settings! The package begins with material from an original 10" LP session in 1954 – featuring Brookmeyer on trombone with backing by the John Williams trio. The set then expands to feature tracks recorded by Brookmeyer, Jim Hall, and Jimmy Giuffre as material that was originally issued on the album Traditionalism Revisited, but which also features tracks from that session that came out on other more obscure sources, including a Playboy jazz album and a Brookmeyer LP on Crown. The set then follows with a beautiful guitar/trombone session that features Jim Hall, Jimy Raney, and Brookmeyer – originally issued as The Street Swingers. Next up is material from a bluesy 1958 set, recorded with vocalist Big Miller, as well as Paul Quinichette, Al Cohn, and Jim Hall – for the album Kansas City Revisited. The set's completed by material from the beautiful UA album Stretching Out – which featured Zoot Sims, Harry Edison, and Al Cohn – and the whole thing's packaged with a great booklet that gives notes on the material. 37 tracks in all – in a limited, numbered set! CD

The Incredible String Band are paired down to the core duo of Mike Heron & Robin Williamson for their third and possibly best album – the truly incredible Hangman's Beautiful Daughter – using the studio as a most impressive adjunct member of the group at this point! This is an extremely talented pair – each playing myriad instruments – sitar, organ, guitar, hammer dulcimer, harpsichord, gimbri, whistle, pipe, oud, mandolin, mouth harps and more. Previous vocal collaborator Licorice sings on one song, and Dolly Collins and David Snell contribute flute organ, piano and harp – but the main duos incredible way of layering their magic with multitracking in the studio the real masterstroke of the effort. Titles include "Koeoaddi There", "Witch's Hat", "The Water Song", "Swift As The Wind", "Nightfall", "Waltz Of The New Moon", "Three Is A Green Crown" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic material from Jimmy Witherspoon – that sublime mix of blues and jazz that really set him apart from the rest! Titles include "Failing By Degrees", "Big Fine Girl", "Have A Ball", "Fickle Woman", "Sweet Lovin Baby", and "Ain't Nobody's Business". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally cool little record – and one that was so rare, it was initially only pressed up to give to the singers and performers who worked on its grooves! The music here is all from a talent show in Brooklyn, circa 1968 – headed by the Youth In Action charity, and filled with very strong performances by soulful, youthful talents right from the streets! The whole thing's got a very raw feel – like the funkiest of the funky 45s from the time – and the recording is also live, with an audience that's getting pretty darn wild as the set moves on. Tracks mix great group soul performances with gritty funk and soul instrumentation – and tracks include "I Want To Be Sweeter To You" by The United Souls, "Love Makes A Woman" by Carla & The Carlettes, "I Wish It Would Rain" by Channels 4, "Come & Get These Memories" by Sharon Seabrook & The Starlettes, "Cowboys To Girls" by The Destinations, and "Thrillers Band" by The Thrillers Band. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue package – one that finally brings together all the many strands of music from underground Cali rock legend Merrell Fankhauser! CD1 features some of Merrell's earliest music – a host of early singles by Merrell & The Exiles, some of which were issued on the Glenn and Golden Crown labels – mixed here with rare unissued titles too – for a whopping 19 tracks that offer up a rare look at Fankhauser's earliest years! CD2 features the classic Fapardokly record – a lost bit of legend from the west coast scene of the 60s – and a record that's maybe best-known as a showcase for the early genius of Merrell Fankhauser – who wrote most of the songs on the set, a good number of which were actually recorded for the record by his previous group, The Exiles! Yet despite that little bit of trivia, there's a great vibe going on here – a seminal shift in the Cali scene from garagey work to trippier modes – served up beautifully on titles that include "Glass Chandelier", "Suzie Cryin", "Tomorrow's Girl", "Lila", "Mr Clock", "No Retreat", "Gone To Pot", "When I Get Home", "Supermarket", and "The Music Scene". CD3 features the album Things, recorded by Merrell Fankhauser & HMS Bounty – a perfect blend of Fankhauser's earlier garage rock modes and latter trippier styles! The tunes are short and wonderfully tuneful – produced at Gold Star studios, with a simple, straightforward style that makes all the deftness of the songwriting come through even more – an approach that, although supposedly steeped in Pacific Ocean inspiration, almost feels more like that great moment when some UK groups of the mid 60s were tripping out, but not too much. Titles include "Lost In The City", "Your Painted Lives", "In A Minute Not Too Soon", "A Visit With Ashiya", "The Big Gray Sky", and "Rich Man's Fable". CD4 features MU – an incredible record, and one that really lives up to all its well-deserved legend over the years – one of those sets that's not just rare, but which has all the chops to really deliver the goods! A few short years before, Merrell Fankhauser was recording garage and psych on the LA scene – but here, he steps off the latter with a bit of post-60s hangover – working with a current of darkness that really changes things up, while still providing a great outlet for his legendary work on guitar – and his mindblowing sense of a lyric! Titles include "Ballad Of Brother Lew", "Eternal Thirst", "Too Naked For Demetrius", "Mumbella Baye Tu La", "The Clouds Went That Way", and "Nobody Wants To Shine". CD5 features MU's The Last Album – 20 more tracks recorded in 1974, but unissued for many years – and CD6 features the legendary Maui album from the enigmatic Merrell Fankhauser – a self-released set that drew inspiration from his time in Hawaii – even though the set was mostly recorded in LA and San Francisco! The tunes are beautiful – nicely evolved from Merrell's psych of earlier years, with a much more personal vibe – yet all without some of those west coast cliches that were creeping into more mainstream music of the period. You might get the vibe partly right if you could maybe imagine a more personal singer/songwriter take on the AOR vibe of the period – with leaner, better instrumentation and unslick production – but that's also only part of the picture too! Titles include "On Our Way To Hana", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Garden In The Rain", "Waterfall", "The Source", "Sail It Over The Ocean", and "We Were All Free". Box set features a very detailed book of notes – bonus tracks added to most of the albums, and a massive 95 tracks in all! CD

A mindblowing collection of work from one of our favorite film composers ever – and a package that showcases as much jazz and vocal material as it does his work for cinema! The design is wonderful – a big-styled package with a huge volume of notes and photos – served up with 20 CDs that each focus on a different theme, many of which are presented in full album reissues of material from Michel Legrand's long and storied career – alongside other work that's always been hard to find on CD! CD1 features early jazz records Legrand Jazz and Plays Richard Rodgers. CD2 and CD3 feature vocal material – the albums Michel Legrand Chante, Serenades Du Xxeme Siecle, Les Moulins De Mon Coeur, and Michel Legrand (1981). CD 4 features nouvelle vague/new wave film work. CD5 features work with director Jacques Demy, including some unusual moments. CD6 is a tribute to Steve McQueen – soundtrack work from Thomas Crown Affair, Le Mans, and The Hunter. CD7 features albums with Stan Getz and Bud Shank. CD8 features 22 vocal songs by French performers. CD9 features 19 tracks by international performers. CD10 features rare work for stage musicals, including the long Monte Cristo soundtrack. CD11 features work for animated films – including Il Etait Une Fois L'Espace, Michel's Bird, and Oum Le Dauphin Blanc. CD12 features a tribute to Alain Delon – the soundtracks for Cercle Rouge and La Piscine, plus a vocal track sung by Delon. CD13 features work for director Jean Paul Rappenau – soundtracks for Le Sauvage, Les Maries De L'An II, and La Vie De Chateau. CD14 features full album collaborations with Phil Woods and Sarah Vaughan. CD15 features collaborations with Stephane Grappelli. CD16 features concert performances – the albums Legrand Cinema and Legrand Concert, plus bonus tracks. CD17 features orchestral works from recent years. CD18 and CD19 feature some material from rare or previously unreleased soundtracks. And CD20 features rare and unusual material – including work for Radio Luxembourg, some jazzy bits, and even a commercial for Heineken! CD

Fantastic funk from the Colemine label – a company who've given us plenty of great albums over the years, but who seem especially well-tuned to the funky 45! Along with Daptone, Big Crown, and a few others, Colemine is one of the labels who turn out top-shelf 7" singles again and again – most of which are in limited pressings, disappear fast, and are sometimes pretty expensive if you can find them! This set corrects that issue, and brings together 27 nuggets that originally appeared as funky 45s – all stacked together nicely as a massive LP set, with a nice price break from trying to track down the singles. Titles include "Gripsweats Them" by The Gripsweats, "Don't You Know" by Durand Jones & The Indications, "NUSAU" by Jungle Fire, "Supermoon" by Ikebe Shakedown, "What A Shame" by Jr Thomas & The Volcanos, "War Room" by Black Market Brass, "Aragon" by Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, "My God Has A Telephone" by Flying Stars Of Brooklyn, "He's On Time" by Harlem Gospel Travelers, "Happiness" by Wesley Bright & The Honeytones, "It Was Only A Dream" by Thee Sinseers, "America" by Soul Scratch, and "Sure Don't Miss You" by The Dip. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful bass work from 50s LA player Red Callender – heard here on this classic side recorded for the Modern imprint. Swingin Suite is easily one of Red's tightest sessions – a date that has Callender's basslines strongly leading a nonet of players that includes Harry Jones on trumpet, John Ewing on trombone, Willie Green on alto sax, and Buddy Collette on flute and tenor. Collette's lines have a nice sharp edge throughout, and soar out beautifully amidst the bigger backings – and although a "suite", the whole session's got a much more relaxed feel than that compositional title might make you think. Tracks include "On Again", "Greenery", "Pastel", "Dancers", "October Blue", "Bihari", "Skyline", and "Outlines". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classics from Earth Wind & Fire – back to back on a single CD! First up is Spirit – a big hit for the group – and a great album of smooth funky soul! Spirit is a perfect example of the way that Earth Wind & Fire could tighten things up, yet still keep them real – holding onto the deeply spiritual side that first made them great – but also focusing their energy towards a wider audience that showed their influence for years! Of course, with Charles Stepney helping out on production, it's hard to miss – and he's one of the few cats who could handle a blend like this so well. The compression in the band's playing is impeccable – with just the right mix of spacey spiritualism, sophisticated jazzy playing, and a straight ahead love of the soulful hook. Includes the instrumentals "Biyo" and "Departure", plus the vocal tracks "Earth Wind & Fire","Burnin Bush", "Spirit", "Imagination", and "Getaway", all produced to perfection by Maurice White and Charles Stepney! That's The Way Of The World may be Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and Afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth, Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid-70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD

The second round from the Run The Jewels supergroup duo of El-P & Killer Mike – bigger, bolder and better than the debut! The production is more densely layered and the rhymes are meaner – especially Killer Mike's limber, charismatic flow, which served so strongly by El-P's progressive, classic boom bap-inspired production – and El-P is no slouch on the mic, either! The guests bring their A games, too – and the titles include "Jeopardy", "Oh My Darling Don't Cry", "Close Your Eyes" with Zach De la Rocha, "Lie, Cheat, Steal", "Early" feat Boots, "Love Again (Akinyele Back)", "Crown" feat Diane Coffee, "Angel Duster" and more. CD

A dream of a record from Crown Heights Affair – the group's classic first set, and maybe as fine a batch of early club work you could ever hope to find! Like so many of the east coast acts at the start of the disco generation, these guys are a well-trained funk ensemble, playing at a faster clip for the new dancefloor sound – which means that at the core, they've still got some fantastic instrumentation – and a groove that rivals their bigger contemporaries, like Kool & The Gang, Fatback, or BT Express! The drums are fantastic, the basslines nice and subtle, the horns used with some real grace – and there's also some really cool moog solos on the best numbers – which really makes the album a treat. Titles include both disco and vocal versions of their hit "Dreaming A Dream" – plus the tracks "I Am Me", "You Smiled", "Foxy", "I Am Me", "Feeling Tall", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Na Na Hey Hey", and "Picture Show". LP, Vinyl record album

A dream of a record from Crown Heights Affair – the group's classic first set, and maybe as fine a batch of early club work you could ever hope to find! Like so many of the east coast acts at the start of the disco generation, these guys are a well-trained funk ensemble, playing at a faster clip for the new dancefloor sound – which means that at the core, they've still got some fantastic instrumentation – and a groove that rivals their bigger contemporaries, like Kool & The Gang, Fatback, or BT Express! The drums are fantastic, the basslines nice and subtle, the horns used with some real grace – and there's also some really cool moog solos on the best numbers – which really makes the album a treat. Titles include both disco and vocal versions of their hit "Dreaming A Dream" – plus the tracks "I Am Me", "You Smiled", "Foxy", "I Am Me", "Feeling Tall", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Na Na Hey Hey", and "Picture Show". LP, Vinyl record album

A great British sound library gem – with some key funky tracks, and a few more sprightly numbers! Most are in a bigger ensemble mode, but with fuzzy guitar – and there's a bit of electronics on one number too. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous package of work from this overlooked soul and gospel legend – four classic albums, plus other rare material too – all packaged with detailed notes in the wonderful Numero Group style! First up is Like A Ship Without A Sail – a gospel album from Pastor TL Barrett, but one that's gone on to legendary status among funk and soul collectors over the years! Barrett works here with his Youth For Christ Choir – a south side ensemble that's filled with genuine spirit and passion, aimed towards lofty ideals – but set up with some deep secular soul production touches and instrumentation that keep things razor sharp throughout! The album was supervised by Chess Records sax player and arranger Gene Barge – with other Chess players Richard Evans and Phil Upchurch on the sessions too – and the music is filled with raw drums, heavy bass, and lots of great organ lines! Next is Do Not Pass Me By Vol 1 – an album that's got a nice balance between intimate soul numbers and larger tracks that have the whole Mount Zion Baptist Church along for support! The set's definitely got the strongly soulful vibe of Barrett's Like A Ship album – a strong ear for the best secular elements of the time, which are used liberally in the instrumental backing – to really send home the message in the music! Most tunes really soft-pedal the religion, and instead go for an overall feel that really crosses over to regular soul music. Next is the great second volume of Do Not Pass Me By – like the first, the product of a wonderfully spiritual setting on Chicago's south side – music created in the church, but with all the same vibe as the hippest secular soul coming from the Windy City in the early 70s! The set does a great job of alternating strong lead singers with the rest of the group – a bit like Voices Of East Harlem, but with more of a larger ensemble feel – and there's some really wonderful moments on the record throughout – even a bit of funk amidst the more righteous soul-styled tunes. I Found The Answer is one of the biggest-circulating albums from this fantastic figure in Chicago gospel – a unique set done for the Gospel Truth subsidiary of Stax Records, but a set served up in the same blend of soul-based inspirations as some of TL Barrett's indie label releases back home in the Windy City! Plus, the package features a full album of Singles & Sermons – rare non-LP material by this seminal figure in both soul and spiritual music. CD

Jefferson Airplane flying high in the late 60s – both a creative and commercial triumph for the band – balancing the tripped out adventurousness of their earlier work, with a more focused approach that brought them to bigger and bigger audiences! Front loaded with moodier, acoustic-based songs that build into heavier rock as the record plays on – with some really great use of sound effects for added drama on here and there! Titles include "Lather", "In Time", "Star Track", "Chushingura", "If You Feel", "Ice Cream Phoenix", "The House At Pooniel Corners" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning moments of Bill Nelson and Be Bop Deluxe – a set in which it seemed that everything the group was trying for really came together – in a mode that's both tuneful and timeless, and which – a bit like Sparks or 10CC – was slightly out of time with the rest of the rock scene in the 70s! There's a few surprisingly catchy numbers – of the sort that should have made the group even bigger on the international scene – but Nelson also manages to work in lots of keyboard magic, too – in that compressed approach to his prog inclinations, which was always the appeal of the group. The set's neither glam nor punk, nor prog or classic rock – very much its own sort of thing – with titles include "Fair Exchange", "Life In The Air Age", "Ships In The Night", "Crystal Gazing", "Blazing Apostles", and "Beauty Secrets". LP, Vinyl record album

If you only know BB King from later years, you'll really be stunned at the sound of this great set from the start of the 60s – a record that's much more R&B than the straighter blues of King's bigger label work – and which has a jumping groove nearly all the way through! The mix of modes is right in that best Memphis style of the 50s – currents of jazz, jump blues, and other soulful styles – all topped by King's bold vocals, and given a bit of sweet guitar solos on most tracks – already razor-sharp, even at this early point in his career! Titles include "Bad Luck Soul", "Shut Your Moth", "My Reward", "Don't Cry Anymore", "Just Like A Woman", and "Blues For Me". CD features 8 bonus tracks – including "Broken Promise", "Mercy Mercy Baby", "Lonely", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "I Can Hear My Name", and "Just A Dream". CD

Great new collection of the fantastic magical work of the great Harper's Bizarre. One of the jewels in the crown of the LA studio scene of the late 60's, this superb pop group was sort of a mix of Brian Wilson-style vocals, soundtrack kitsch, and Now Sound instrumentation – with lots of little Warner bits like Van Dyke Parks and Randy Newman thrown in. Great 14 track comp, with some of the best LP cuts, like "Come to the Sunshine", "Biggest Night of Her Life", "Witchi Tai To", "Poly High", and "Happyland". Crazy and wonderful. CD

A crowning moment in New Jack Swing – a perfect step forward for Janet Jackson, as she continues to work with the duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with a vibe that was setting the scene for the rest of mainstream soul at the time! The album's got a larger overall feel than her previous set – partly because it makes use of the expanded CD recording style to add in interludes that link the tracks, and create a great flow through the record – while the lady herself still soars through plenty of catchy cuts that would win her some big hits! Titles include "Escapade", "Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Alright", "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", "Black Cat" and "Come Back To Me". CD

The vintage years are some of the best years for the legendary BB King – served up here in a package that focuses strongly on the music he made during his first 15 years in the studio, with lots of rare tracks for the RPM, Crown, and Kent Records labels – including a few titles that appear here for the first time ever! King at this point was a genre unto himself – able to play a raw electric guitar with the best of his Texas precursors, but also able to fit it into smoother, more sophisticated arrangements – often with that current of jazz that was showing up in the Memphis scene in the 50s, and given that undeniable BB King charm on the vocals! The package features a whopping 86 titles on four CDs, all with a wonderful level of packaging – typical of the usual Ace Records style, which means wonderful notes, great graphics, and a presentation that's way better than the usual clunky longbox set. This is hardly a "hits" collection, and instead digs very deep – and then lays out the material in a wonderful way that shows the huge evolution in King's music before his bigger 60s fame on ABC Records. CD

A crowning moment in New Jack Swing – or New Jill Swing, as it were – a perfect step forward for Janet Jackson, as she continues to work with the duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with a vibe that was setting the scene for the rest of mainstream soul at the time! The album's got a larger overall feel than her previous set – partly because it makes use of the expanded CD recording style to add in interludes that link the tracks, and create a great flow through the record – while the lady herself still soars through plenty of catchy cuts that would win her some big hits! Titles include "Escapade", "Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Alright", "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", "Black Cat" and "Come Back To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning achievements of Alexander O'Neal – a set that uses cool little intro tracks to help structure the standout songs on the set – giving the whole thing a much more well-conceived approach than other mainstream soul albums of the time! Some of the cuts draw from O'Neal's own life and experience, and that feel is definitely augmented by the spontaneous, conversational feel of the intros and links – a really nice contrast to the wonderfully tight R&B production from the superteam of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis! Of course, lots of these tracks also struck big as singles for Alexander – proof that the cuts are more than strong enough to stand on their own – yet taken over the course of the whole album, with all the extra bits, the whole thing really sounds great. Titles include "Hearsay", "The Lovers", "Fake", "Criticize", "Never Knew Love Like This", "To Make You Love Me", "Crying Overtime", and "Sunshine". CD

One of the crowning achievements of Alexander O'Neal – a set that uses cool little intro tracks to help structure the standout songs on the set – giving the whole thing a much more well-conceived approach than other mainstream soul albums of the time! Some of the cuts draw from O'Neal's own life and experience, and that feel is definitely augmented by the spontaneous, conversational feel of the intros and links – a really nice contrast to the wonderfully tight R&B production from the superteam of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis! Of course, lots of these tracks also struck big as singles for Alexander – proof that the cuts are more than strong enough to stand on their own – yet taken over the course of the whole album, with all the extra bits, the whole thing really sounds great. Titles include "Hearsay", "The Lovers", "Fake", "Criticize", "Never Knew Love Like This", "To Make You Love Me", "Crying Overtime", and "Sunshine". Bonus tracks include "Fake 88", and mixes of "Criticize", "To Make You Love Me", and "Never Knew Love Like This". CD