A 60s album, but one that brings together earlier small combo work from trumpeter Buck Clayton! The set features work from his Big Four combo, with Tiny Grimes on guitar; his Big Eight group with Trummy Young on trombone, George Johnson on alto, and Billy Taylor on piano; and Trummy Young's Big Seven, with Buster Bailey on clarinet and Jimmy Jones on piano! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great entries in Duke Ellington's "exotic" albums of the 60s – records that aren't exactly exotica by any stretch of the imagination, but which have musical themes that were inspired by the international travels of the Ellington band at the time! In this case, the locale is the Virgin Islands – where Ellington performed in 1965, and returned home to record this set as a memory of tunes played by the band in St Croix and St Thomas. The core of the set is the initial Virgin Islands suite – made up of four new tunes that include "Island Virgin", "Virgin Jungle", "Fiddler On The Diddle", and "Jungle Kitty" – all nicely rhythmic numbers that explore some fresh themes with especially nice horn solos from the members of the group. Other tracks are older numbers performed on the tour, given a bit of a new twist here – on titles that include "Fade Up", "Mysterious Chick", "The Opener", and "Big Fat Alice's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Sounds hokey – but this is a fantastic album! French pianist Raymond Fol leads a group that includes American and European players of the Clarke-Boland Big Band mode, like Johnny Griffin, Jimmy Woode, and Fats Sadi, plus American Art Taylor on drums – and he's come up with a swinging take on Vivaldi's Four Seasons that's one of the hippest French jazz sides we've heard from the 60s! Forget the source of the material, because Fol lets the players really go loose on the solos – which means you'll hear great vibes from Sadi, searing tenor from Griffin, and some excellent work on piano and celeste from Fol himself, all set to tight rhythm accompaniment that makes the tracks swing harder than you'd ever expect. A real treat, kind of a swinging jazz suite, ala the best MPS work of the Clarke-Boland Big Band! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little record – one that's greater even than the sum of its three mighty parts! Although we've always felt that some of the "all star" sets on Verve could sometimes be a bit too "easy", we're always very big fans of the few that feature strong performances from Dizzy Gillespie – as they have a tight bop groove that lets all the musicians find their right place, and solo in wonderful interplay with each other! Here, Dizz and Sonny Stitt provide the core of a group that also includes Stan Getz on tenor – and the three of them are given four nice long tracks to work through in a relaxed seamless fashion – moving openly and wonderfully over tunes that include "Dark Eyes", "We", and "Be Bop". Includes a bonus alternate of "Dark Eyes". CD

A classic album from the early years of soul music – the only full length set ever served up by the great Joe Henderson – a vocalist with roots in the legendary Fairfield Four gospel group, but sounding equally great here in a secular mode! The arrangements are by Cliff Parham, and they've got this blend of bluesy vocals and jazzier backings – in a style that's very much like the best Duke/Peacock work of the time – with a spectacular focus on Joe's voice in the lead! The whole album's great, filled with unusual material – with titles that include "Sad Teardrops At Dawn", "Right Now", "Big Love", "Just Call Me", "Snap Your Fingers", "After Loving You", and "If You See Me Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

Mocko Jumbie is an unusual skill – a the word stands for stilt dancing at carnival time – something that Hugo Moolenaar could do very well, as you'll see on the cover – although he's even better here on record in a musical mode! The EP brings together four of the best tracks from Hugo's rare records – all of them funky, but in a Caribbean mode – with all these light colors bursting over the top of the lively rhythms – riffing guitar next to basslines, percussion, and keyboards – while Hugo calls out the lyrics with plenty of charm throughout. Titles include "Big Man Cry", "Give It Your Best Shot", "We Can Live Together", and "Children Children". LP, Vinyl record album

Anita O'Day pays tribute to Downbeat poll winners by singing vocal versions of their big hits in this lively set of jazz tracks from the 50s! Arrangements are by Marty Paich and Russ Garcia, both swinging as nicely as they ever did – and the setting of the album keeps Anita nicely in line, sticking to more straight jazz material than you might hear on some of her other sets from the same period. Titles include "Frenesi", "Sing, Sing, Sing", "Early Autumn", "Four Brothers", "Four", and "Night In Tunisia". CD also features 7 bonus tracks – including "Whisper Not", "Peel Me A Grape", "Star Eyes", "Hershey Bar", and "Don't Be That Way". CD

A unique large group session from Art Pepper – one of his few this way as a leader, despite constant 50s presence as a sideman in big ensembles! Arrangements are by Marty Paich, who more than makes things swing – and there's a nice rhythm section dancing underneath a larger group – with Russ Freeman on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. Players in the fuller lineup include Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Herb Geller on alto, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Bob Enevoldsen on trombone and tenor – and titles are mostly modern numbers written by other jazzmen like Horace Silver, Denzil Best, Jimmy Giuffre, and Sonny Rollins. Titles include "Groovin High", "Move", "Four Brothers", "Anthropology", and "Airegin". LP, Vinyl record album

A unique large group session from Art Pepper – one of his few this way as a leader, despite constant 50s presence as a sideman in big ensembles! Arrangements are by Marty Paich, who more than makes things swing – and there's a nice rhythm section dancing underneath a larger group – with Russ Freeman on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. Players in the fuller lineup include Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Herb Geller on alto, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Bob Enevoldsen on trombone and tenor – and titles are mostly modern numbers written by other jazzmen like Horace Silver, Denzil Best, Jimmy Giuffre, and Sonny Rollins. Titles include "Groovin High", "Move", "Four Brothers", "Anthropology", and "Airegin". LP, Vinyl record album

A unique large group session from Art Pepper – one of his few this way as a leader, despite constant 50s presence as a sideman in big ensembles! Arrangements are by Marty Paich, who more than makes things swing – and there's a nice rhythm section dancing underneath a larger group – with Russ Freeman on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. Players in the fuller lineup include Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Herb Geller on alto, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Bob Enevoldsen on trombone and tenor – and titles are mostly modern numbers written by other jazzmen like Horace Silver, Denzil Best, Jimmy Giuffre, and Sonny Rollins. Titles include "Groovin High", "Move", "Four Brothers", "Anthropology", and "Airegin". CD

A long-overdue look at the short but rich career of Sandy Posey on MGM Records – presented here in a set of four full albums, plus bonus non-LP singles too! Posey has a very unique approach, music that's a little bit country and a little bit pop – and which carries a distinct sound that really sets Sandy apart from so many other of her 60s contemporaries! Posey's approach is always a bit hard to peg, and that's what makes it great – a southern singer, working in Tennessee – but with soulful production from Chips Moman that pushes things both past the poppier side of Nashville, and some of the lighter girl singer modes of the east coast too – really on the cusp of something wonderful, and cresting nicely in all sorts of really wonderful ways – as distinct for Sandy maybe as Roy Orbison's special blend was for him. Chips Moman produced almost all the work here, although he gets a bit of help from Joe South near the end – and the 2CD set features 55 tracks in all, including "Born A Woman", "What A Woman In Love Won't Do", "All Hung Up In Your Green Eyes", "Deep In Kentucky", "Handy", "The Big Hurt", "Sunglasses", "Miss Lonely", "Single Girl", "Shattered", "Ways Of The World", "Take Me With You Baby", "I Take It Back", and "Bread & Butter". CD

Hip hop's reigning kings of longevity The Roots deliver another great album with Undun – we'd have to think it's entirely uncompromising and they're doing exactly what they want to do on this one – so if you thought their day (eh, latenight) job would would bring their album work into more of a mainstream style. . .hell no! Undun is a serious, soul searching and boldly creative album length character study inspired by a Sufjan Stephens song (!!!) – ambition is not something this group lacks – and it's stunning. An album that's in the upper tier of Roots albums in quality – there's certainly no chart bait here. Includes "Dun", "Sleep", "Make My" feat Big KRIT & Dice Raw, "One Time" feat Phonte & Dice Raw, "Stomp" feat Greg Porn, "I Remember", "Tip The Scale" feat Dice Raw, the four part "Redford" suite and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most fully-realized concept albums ever recorded by Frank Sinatra – a set of all original material put together for Sinatra by Bob Gaudio and Jake Holmes – two younger talents who really come up with some great songs for the sessions! Gaudio had already been working some wonderfully complex changes in the sound of The Four Seasons, and he works here on arrangements too, with work from Charles Callelo – also a big force on the cool and groovy sound that kept the Seasons so great in the late 60s! The album didn't score hugely at the time, but it's a real overlooked gem in Sinatra's catalog – the kind of mature, focused album that he first founded Reprise Records to put together – served up with a style that's nicely different than his hit singles of the late 60s. Titles include "I Would Be In Love Anyway", "Watertown", "Goodbye", "What A Funny Girl You Used To Be", "Michael & Peter", "For Awhile", "She Says", and "The Train". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge batch of material in one well-done set – a package that brings together four classic late 70s albums in a dee jay style – all produced by Joe Gibbs, and two of which have never been on CD before – all with bonus tracks and the usual top-shelf Doctor Bird presentation! As the dee jay mode rose up strongly in Jamaica during the mid 70s, Joe Gibbs was one of the key producers to really get the sound just right – layering the spoken, sing-song vocals over heavy rhythms in just the right way – less abstract than dub tracks, but also a lot looser and more flowing than more mainstream work of the time – especially in comparison to some of the big global reggae hits. At the time of such fame, Gibbs just dug deeper with material of this nature – served up here on the albums Three Piece Suit by Trinity, Under Heavy Manners by Prince Far I, Natty Superstar by Ranking Joe, and Inna Him Head by Prince Mohammed – the last two of which have never been on CD. The set's got 44 tracks in all – which includes bonus titles too! CD

One of the most unique country collections we've ever heard – in part because the artists aren't from Nashville, nor Bakersfield, and instead hail from the British scene of the 60s! The tunes here are all country-styled numbers – and some are country music classics – but they get very unique delivery here by UK groups who've soaked up all the best Brit Invasion modes of the period – all to make for a presentation that's very different than you might expect! We normally associate beat groups of the time with a strong influence from R&B, but these cuts uncover a surprising country influence too – as you'll hear on a whopping 30 tracks from artists who include Sonny Webb & The Cascades, Nashville Teens, Jerry Williams & The Violents, Lee Curtis & The All-stars, The In-Crowd, Bobby Patrick Big Six, The Hollies, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, King Size Taylor & The Dominoes, Tommy Quickly & The Remo Four, Tony Sheridan, and many others. CD

Think you've heard everything on Motown? Think again – because this sweet little set is filled with unissued 60s recordings by some of the best male singers on the label! The collection is a soul fan's dream come true – as the music here represents some real lost corners of Motown, with sounds that span almost the full stretch of the 60s – and really show the label's greatness at work – because if most of these tracks were recorded by other labels, they would have been pushed as potential hits! There's great work from artists who were just starting out, surprising moments from big names at the time, and a few entries we wouldn't have guessed without looking at the notes – and titles include "Headin North" by Shorty Long, "Only On The Weekend" by The Headliners, "Satisfaction Is Guaranteed" by Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, "Safety Zone" by Marv Johnson, "Hold On To Me" by The Spinners, "Show Me You Can Dance" by The Hit Pack, "Tell Me How To Forget A True Love" by Johnny Bristol, "Mojo Hannah (studio)" by Marvin Gaye, "I Wanted To Cry" by Bruce Channel, "I'm Gonna Make It To The Top" by Freddie Gorman, "This Ole Heart" by The Quails, "The Night We Called It A Day" by The Four Tops, and "Just Your Love" by Ivy Jo. CD

A huge dip into the history of hip hop – in a set that's something of a groundbreaking effort from the folks at the Smithsonian! If we're honest, we'll tell you that we're old enough to remember a time when folks thought that hip hop was just a fad – when it was a musical style that would disappear in just a few short years. But now, all these many decades later, the form has had such an impact on American culture that the Smithsonian Institute is giving it some official sort of due – something we never would have believed back in the 80s! The package is huge – 9CDs with a whopping 129 tracks in all, and a 300 page book that supports the recordings with an insane amount of notes, photos, and all sorts of other information – alongside a track list that was put together by folks who include Questlove, 9th Wonder, Chuck D, Jeff Chang, and MC Lyte! The set is especially great on old school tracks up through the golden era hip hop years – but also moves into the 21st century too – and artists include Treacherous Three, Afrika Bambaataa, Fearless Four, Cold Crush Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Run DMC, Fatback, Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Funky Four +1, T La Rock, Schoolly D, Beastie Boys, Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Mantronix, Stetsasonic, Audio Two, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Marley Marl, Tone Loc, Jungle Brothers, NWA, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, 3rd Bass, De La Soul, Queen Latifa, DOC, 2 Live Crew, Dr Dre, Sir Mix A Lot, Digable Planets, Positive K, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Naughty By Nature, Black Sheep, Tribe Called Quest, Geto Boys, Pharcyde, 2Pac, Warren G, Gang Starr, Notorious BIG, and many many more! CD

American bassist Oscar Pettiford left our planet on the other side of the Atlantic – after just a few years of making some big waves on the European scene, where this tribute to his genius was recorded in 1960! The material here appears for the first time – and the bulk of the set features tremendous performances from very hip European groups who were following in the legacy of modern jazz that Pettiford and some of his generation helped unlock on the scene. The set begins with a trio that includes pianist Finn Savery and bassist Erik Moseholm, on titles that include "Bohemia After Dark" and "Willow Weep For Me". Baritone saxophonist Max Bruel leads a quartet through a reading of his own "Blues For Oscar" – followed by four tracks from the trio of pianist Bengt Hallberg, one with vocals from Alice Babs – titles that include "Blues By Alice" and "Dinah". Next is the legendary Jazz Quintet 60 – with Allan Botschinsky on trumpet, Bent Jaedig on tenor, and Bent Axen on piano – doing their renditions of Pettiford tunes "Why Not That's What" and "Blues In The Closet". Vibist Louis Hjulmand follows in a quartet with pianist Finn Savery on the Pettiford tune "Now See How You Are" – then the great Stan Getz comes in to finish things off in a quartet with Bengt Hallberg's trio – serving up takes of "Without A Song", "Get Happy", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "Nobody's Sweetheart". CD

2 blues classics from the great Howlin Wolf – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Howlin Wolf – a record that has Wolf tightening it up a bit from his earliest years at Chess, and moving into a groove that would forever make him one of the key artists to record for the label! The raspy, rootsy feel of earlier years is still in place – but the recording quality's a bit better, and the tunes have a more unified feel – thanks partly to some classic compositions from Willie Dixon, whose work makes up a very big part of the album! Tunes were recorded between the years 1959 to 1962, and brought together for the record – and titles include "Shake For Me", "Spoonful", "Going Down Slow", "Down In The Bottom", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Red Rooster", and "Tell Me". On Moanin In The Moonlight, a set filled with raspy vocals, Wolf sings in a way that definitely lives up to his nickname! The sound here is spare and stripped down, with very little accompaniment – usually just a bit of guitar, piano, bass, and drums – and sometimes not even all that much! Wolf's vocals are wonderful throughout – archetypal, but not nearly as cliched as some of his contemporaries came to sound – with a timeless feel that really holds up throughout. Titles include "Smokestack Lightnin", "No Place To Go", "All Night Boogie", "Evil", "I Asked For Water", "Forty Four", and "Somebody In My Home". CD

A really great underground groover from the 70s – an album that hardly got any circulation at the time, but which has gone onto become the stuff of legend over the years! The album's a bit unusual, in that it almost feels like an expanded package of 12" singles – as the a-side features four vocal tracks that are all great club numbers – then the b-side has all the same songs, but presented as instrumentals! There's a nicely sophisticated feel to most numbers – almost in the Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson side of the spectrum – more midtempo mellow club than any sort of disco – and the set includes the classic cut "Give Me the Sunshine", and the original recording of "I'm Back for More", which was the big hit for Al Johnson a few years later. The other two tracks are "Madam Butterfly" and "Get Down People" – and all four of these are also done as instrumentals. LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of drawn-out fusion – played by a British trio that features electric keyboards, bass, and percussion! The tracks have a jamming jazz-rock approach – but never get too overindulgent, and never fall into the traps of some of the other British groups of the time. Instead, the groove is pure – with some nice dropped-out moments that have the keyboards working on lines that sound like they might have been lifted off of one of Sonny Fortune's great mid-70s albums. The lineup features Peter Robinson on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards, Alyn Ross on bass, and Morris Pert on drums and percussion – plus some guest soprano sax from Robin Thompson on three of the four songs. All tracks are long, and titles include "Stardance", "Orinoco", and "From The Region Of Capricorn". CD

A great great great collection of rare soul tracks – all pulled from the east LA powerhouse Rampart Records – a key force for fresh sounds in the 60s! Rampart was at a crossroads between soul and Latin scenes in the larger Los Angeles area – and as such, was able to grab music from both sides of the fence – including artists who had this amazing power to reach out for new styles to bridge previous gaps between different audiences! Make no mistake, the sound here is soul throughout – but it's also soul that helped set the stage for a bigger wave of soul, rock, and Latin changes to come from LA at the start of the 70s – and the positive force of this music is stunning, especially when taken together in a big serving like this. Titles include "Come Swim With Me" by Little Ray, "Girl I Love You" by Ron Holden, "Tracy" by Barry White & The Atlantics, "I'm In Love With Your Daughter (part 1)" by Thee Enchantments, "Hey Joe Where You Gonna Go" by Sammy Lee & The Summits, "The Panther" by The East Bay Soul Brass, "Listen To The Wise Man" by East Side Kids, "Poquito Soul" by One G Plus 34, "Evil Ways" by The Village Callers, "One Like Mine" by The Salas Brothers, "I Had A Strange Dream" by Four Tempos, and "Chinese Checkers" by The Mixtures. CD

A deep deep look at a side of the British 60s scene that didn't always make big waves here in the US – but one that had a huge influence on UK sounds for years to come! The mighty book-like package documents the rich stream of sounds that exploded during the beat group years – a moment that was partly graced by some of the names that we'd know here as the Brit Invasion, but which soon moved off into much more expansive sounds that include mod moments, freakbeat grooves, and a fair bit of tunes influenced by American jazz and soul! The 6CD set features a whopping 165 tracks in all, plus a huge booklet of notes – and a number of the tracks are pulled from the Pye Records catalog – one of the most important Brit labels of the period – but the set also includes lot of bits from elsewhere too. Includes work by The Rogers, Marmalade, The Baskervilles, The Web, The Mighty Atoms, Glenda Collins, The Mike Stuart Span, Bobbi Rio & The Revelles, Carl Wayne & The Vikings, The Mike Cotton Sound, Ray Singer, Marilyn Powell, Just Four Men, Twinkle, Tony Jackson, The Cops N Robbers, Major Rowley, Paddy Klaus & Gibson, David Bowie & The Lower Third, The Lancastrians, New Faces, The Limeys, Mick & Malcolm, Kind, Episode Six, and many others! CD

Rare tracks from one of the greatest soul labels ever – Detroit's legendary Westbound Records, the famous home of Funkadelic – but a source for countless many more grooves! This set features really rare singles and unreleased tracks from Westbound – a flurry of great soul tracks that's surprised even our Westbound-raised ears – with tracks that run from righteous soul to heavy funk, to great group harmonies, and more! There's nary a big name in the set – and instead, the whole thing really focuses on the hinterland of the Westbound scene – including some especially rare gems that were issued as singles by the even-smaller Eastbound label, who did some wonderfully groovy work in the early 70s. Titles include "Admit Your Love Is Gone" by Damon Shawn, "Old Fashioned Woman" by Unique Blend, "I'm Falling In Love" by Fantastic Four, "Tender Moments" by AC Tilmon & Denise LaSalle, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "More Love" by Emanuel Laskey, "What Am I Gonna Do" by Houston Outlaws, "I Don't Know How" by The Superlatives, "Trying Real Hard" by The Magictones, "You Can't Take This Love For You From Me" by Bob & Harold, "I'm Loving You You're Leaving Me" by The Magictones, "Does He Treat You Better" by Unique Blend, and "Rosetta Stone" by AC Tilmon & Detroit Emeralds. CD

Not just key early punk work from both sides of the Atlantic, but important punk precursors too! 100 tracks in all, and a big booklet of notes! Music from the Ramones, the Clash, the Saints, the Damned, the Buzzcocks, Iggy & the Stooges, Wire, New York Dolls, the Fall, Patti Smith, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, the Boys, the Dead Boys, Suicide, Devo, X, the Boomtown Rats, Fear, Gang Of Four, and much more. CD

A glorious celebration of a decade of Ninja Tune! The set's packed full of all the best bits on the label – and includes a number of out of print or hard to find tracks. Titles include "More Beats & Pieces (John McIntire & Tortoise rmx)" by Coldcut, "Channel 1 Suite (Four tet rmx)" by Cinematic Orchestra, "Bad Sex" by Amon Tobin, "Big Sea" by Funki Porcini, "I Hear The Drummer" by Luke Vibert, "The Xen To One Ratio" by Steinski, "Hip Hop Barrio" by Up Bustle & Out, "Down & To The Left" by Amon Tobin, "Quicksilver Loom" by Flanger, "Tried By 12 (Squarepusher mix)" by East Flatbush Project, "Movements (live)" by Roots Manuva, and "Drunk Trumpet (live)" by Kid Koala. 46 tracks, 3CDs, and what a nice price! CD

A huge chapter of work from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – one that not only includes their own albums for the ECM label, but also related solo and side projects too! The set begins with four Art Ensemble albums – Nice Guys, Full Force, Urban Bushman, and The Third Decade – all of which came out as a statement of the group's strengths in the late 70s and early 80s – their first mainstream appearance after a few years of being very underground, and material that helped set a whole new standard for avant jazz expression in the generation to come! Next is the fantastic album Divine Love, by trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – not necessarily an Art Ensemble album, but one that does feature great work from trumpeter Leo Smith – plus trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, bassist Charlie Haden, and vibist Bobby Naughton. Next are four albums by Lester Bowie – two smaller group, and two with his Brass Fantasy ensemble – the records The Great Pretender, All The Magic/The One & Only, I Only Have Eyes For You, and Avant Pop. Then, after Bowie's early passing, the Art Ensemble recorded their beautiful Tribute To Lester – as a trio lineup with Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Don Moye. Mitchell takes the helm next – on a surprisingly big flurry of projects for ECM – records that often show a deeper compositional strand in his music – on records that include Nine To Get Ready, Composition/Improvisation, Far Side, Bells For The South Side, and Boustrophedon – the last of which was led by Evan Parker, with Mitchell in the Transatlantic Art Ensemble. Last up are three records by drummer Jack DeJohnette for ECM – New Directions and New Directions In Europe, both featuring a group with Lester Bowie on trumpet – and Made In Chicago, which features Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, and Muhal Ricard Abrams. Recordings were made between 1978 and 2015 – and comes in a box set with a big booklet of notes! CD

A seminal statement from drummer Jack DeJohnette – a musician who'd already made a pretty big impact in the years before this set – but who really seemed to take off with his New Directions group on ECM! Every player in the lineup is a key sonic pioneer on their instrument – John Abercrombie on guitar, with his great sense of color and tone – Eddie Gomez on bass, with that soundshaping ability he developed with Bill Evans – trumpeter Lester Bowie, really finding a voice here away from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and drummer DeJohnette, beautifully set free in territory far beyond standard rhythm! The mix of all four musicians is wonderful – and still quite fresh after all these years, despite how many folks might have tried to copy the approach – on titles that include "Dream Stalker", "Where Or Wayne", "Silver Hollow", "One Handed Woman", and "Bayou Fever". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic document of a very cool group – one that we're not sure recorded any albums at the time, but who played on Dutch radio, with a lineup that featured some of the hippest cats on the scene at the time! The vibe is a bit like the work of Ruud Bos or Boy's Big Band – a very modern take on large ensemble material – full of life, color, and inventive phrasing – carried off by key soloists who include Ferdinand Povel on tenor, Frans Elsen on piano, Piet Noordijk on alto, Eddie Engels on trumpet, Frans Elsen on guitar, and Herman Schoonderwalt on alto and clarinet! The work is superbly recorded, and the set resonates strongly with the hippest large group material on Saba/MPS at the end of the 60s – very different than the sound of such a group just a few years before, with original material throughout, penned by members of the ensemble. Titles include "Last Moment", "Bluesy Joe", "Hobby Music", "Our Time", "Perka", "Bright Moment", "The Challenger", and "Twenty Four & More". CD

An incredible fantasy of California pop – recorded too late in the 60s to really strike big, but with a perfect approach to mid-decade Beach Boys at their best! Mark Eric's clearly borrowing plenty of pages from Brian Wilson's bag for this set (and maybe Brian Hyland too) – and the original tunes have the beautiful quality of Wilson's best writing in the pre-Pet Sounds years – dealing with deeper themes, but in a very careful and sometimes guarded way that makes the tunes that much more heartfelt. The arrangements are Wilson-inspired too – but have a more mature style than the lyrics – handled by Vic Briggs with a quality that's similar to the brilliant Surf Symphony album of the same year – almost a dreamy remembrance of the sweeter side of California earlier in the decade, but undercut with some of the bluer, more adult modes of the time. Backings feature swirling strings, ringing vibes, and some groovy guitar – and Mark's vocals are often recorded in a way that harmonizes them against the lead – a one-man vocal group, with echoes of The Four Freshmen at times. Titles include "California Home", "Move With The Dawn", "Laura's Changing", "Lynn's Baby", "Just Passing By", "Sad Is The Way That I Feel", and "Take Me With You". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing set – all four of the legendary Warner Brothers albums by harmony giants Harpers Bizarre – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Feelin Groovy – the fab first LP by Harpers Bizarre! The group were one of the strangest pop ensembles operating in the seminal LA scene of the mid 60s – ostensibly a sweet harmony vocal group, but with a strangely childish approach that also had an ear open for the mind-blowing production styles of the Brian Wilson era. Van Dyke Parks was a big supporter of the group – and they perform a sublime version of his tune "Come To The Sunshine" as the leadoff track on the album – and even though Van Dyke didn't handle the arrangements of the record, the style of the music is very similar to his own, with guitar, bass, and drums coming into play with strings, woodwinds, and baroque orchestral touches. The record is as dark as it is sublime – one of those pop gems that hit big, but which has a brooding depth bubbling underneath the sugary coating – ala Pet Sounds. Tracks include "Happy Talk", "The Debutantes Ball", "I Can Hear The Darkness", "Raspberry Rug", and their huge hit version of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". Next is Anything Goes – the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change". The Secret Life Of Harpers Bizarre is the third album by Harpers Bizarre – and one that shows them growing in leaps and bounds with each new release! The record is a sublime fusion of sweet pop California 60s harmonies (ala The Sandpipers or The Lettermen), baroque arrangements with a fake dreamy nostalgia (ala Van Dyke Parks or Randy Newman), and drug-addled underground takes on the eazy sound of the generation (ala Brian Wilson or Love). This album is one of their most perfectly-realized visions, and it features a great blend of older songs, all hipped-up to modern LA arrangements by the likes of Nick De Caro, Perry Botkin, and others. The record has an approach that's simply mindblowing when you consider the amount of funds and effort that must have been put into a record that would only be truly appreciated 40 years later – and it's filled with great titles that include "Me, Japanese Boy", "Look To The Rainbow", "Funny How Love Can Be", "Mad", "Green Apple Tree", and "Las Mananitas". Last up is the group's fourth album, unfortunately, the last Warner album by Harpers Bizarre – one of the few testaments of genius left to us by this incredible group! The record shows the group moving past the sweet pop and dreamy nostalgia of earlier albums – tentatively stepping into the haze of the late 60s LA scene with a blend of songs that share a lot musically with earlier work, but which also seem to have a more adult approach to some of their themes. Arrangements are by the group mostly – with help from pop geniuses like Jack Nitzsche, Nick De Caro, Lenny Waronker, Harry Nilsson, and Perry Botkin Jr. The harmonies are sublime – and the group effortlessly blends original tunes like "Soft Soundin Music", "All Through The Night", "When The Band Begins To Play", and "There's No Time Like Today, along with bizarre covers like "Hard To Handle", "Something Better", "I Love You Alice B Toklas", and Jim Pepper's "Witchi Tai To", which is worth the price of the record alone! Bonus tracks include "Both Sides Now", "Small Talk", "Poly High", "If We Ever Needed The Lord Before", "Malibu U", "Cotton Candy Sandman", "Lost My Love Today", and "Bye Bye Bye". CD

Four classic albums from this hip British soul group – issued here in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is New Religion – a record that was also released in America by Atlantic Records. Although they were a UK soul act, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds were a perfect match for the Atlantic soul stable of the 60s. The group had a smooth group style that was partly uptown, partly northern soul – as clearly illustrated in this album, which is divided up into a "mood red: you feel like leaping" side, and a "mood blue: you feel like digging deeper" side. The band chose some good material that really helps them maintain a solid socking soul sound – including "The Entertainer" and "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" by Tony Clarke, "Ain't No Big Thing" and "I'm Just A Fool For You Girl" by Gerald Sims, and "Little Boy Blue" and "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield. Also features "Come To Me Softly", a sweet dreamy ballad by Jimmy, and kind of a bit crossover hit for the boys. London Swings is two-sided monster – as the album was originally split with work from the Alan Bown Set too! Here, the CD features just the live material from the soul group – a smoking performance from Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – one that goes way past the sweetness of their hits, and which has a crowd-pleasing, party-hearty approach to soul that's really great! Jimmy and the group serve up versions of "Sock It To Em JB", "That Driving Beat", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "You Don't Know Like I Know", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". This Is Jimmy James & The Vagabonds is a record that featured some crossover tracks with New Religion – but the set here just features the exclusive cuts – including "I Feel Alright", "I Can't Get Back Home To My Baby", "Never Like This Before", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "You Showed Me The Way". Open Up Your Soul is a record with a really wonderful sound – the deeply soulful vocals of Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, mixed with rich arrangements handled by Nicky Welsh, and produced to perfection by Brit maestro John Schroeder! The record's got the sophistication of some of the Richard Evans productions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time – and, no surprise, the group lead off with a great cover of The Dells "Wear It On Our Face" – then roll into cuts that include "Cry Like A Baby", "Good Day Sunshine", "Four Walls", "Everybody Loves A Winner", "If You're Gonna Love Me", and "Open Up Your Soul". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Why", "Bumper To Bumper", "Close The Door", "Give Us A Light", "I Wanna Be your Everything", "Hungry For Love", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". CD

A 2 CD set that features two of the more enigmatic Atlantic Records jazz sides from the 70s! Case Of The 3 Sided Dream is a great 70s album by Roland Kirk – one that features him working on a lot of short tracks, in a pretty crazy style! A number of the tracks feature Kirk's uniquely quirky reed style in full effect – often processed with added studio techniques, in a very nice way. And along side that mode, the album's also got a beautiful warm side, with great writing, and a level of sensitivity that's sometimes missing from Kirk's earlier records. Lots of good tracks, including "Freaks For The Festival", "Echoes Of Primitive Ohio and Chili Dogs", "Dream", "Horses", "Side Four", "Portrait Of Those Beautiful Ladies", and "Conversation". Part Of The Search is one of Yusef Lateef's more ambitious albums for Atlantic – kind of a "history of jazz" in styles and expressions, performed with a large set of players that runs the gamut of talents available at the time. The set includes lots of tunes in rawer modes than you'd expect for Yusef – including Kansas City jazz, R&B, and even doo wop! Titles include "Soul's Bakery", "Oatsy Doatsey", "Big Bass Drum", "In The Still Of The Night", "Superfine", "Strange Lullaby", and "Rockhouse". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

Anita O'Day pays tribute to Downbeat poll winners by singing vocal versions of their big hits in this lively set of jazz tracks from the 50s! Arrangements are by Marty Paich and Russ Garcia, both swinging as nicely as they ever did – and the setting of the album keeps Anita nicely in line, sticking to more straight jazz material than you might hear on some of her other sets from the same period. Titles include "Frenesi", "Sing, Sing, Sing", "Early Autumn", "Four Brothers", "Four", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed look at the Dutch jazz scene in the 50s and 60s – a spot in Europe that was turning out some really fantastic modern material – at a level that's every bit as great as better-known work coming from France, Germany, and Scandinavia at the time! Many of the players here quickly became giants who would dominate on the Dutch scene for years to come – and even at this early point, their work is wonderful – occasionally graced with guest work from American players, but already more than great enough on its own – and filled with a mix of sharp rhythms, new ideas, and impeccable instrumentation throughout. As with other Sdban titles, the presentation is wonderful – not just a great set list, but an overall feel that makes the package as hefty as the music inside. Titles include "Four On Six" by Kwartet Martin Verlinden, "So Why" by Kwartet Leo Meyer, "Amsterdam Blues" by Diamond Five, "Lady Elisabeth" by Tony Vos Quartet, "Blues For Eddy" by Red & Brown Brothers, "Sem" by Frans Elsen, "Relaxin With Rhythme" by The Rhythme All Stars, "Mensen Van Morgen" by Herman Schoonderwalt, "Wives & Lovers" by Rita Reys & Oliver Nelson, "Comin Home Baby" by Trio Tony Vos, "Sing Sing Sing" by Leddy Wessel with Jack Van Poll, "Blues Minor" by Boys Big Band, and "Afro Blues" by Herbie Mann with Wessel Ilcken Combo. CD

A wealth of wonderful work from the key years of the British Invasion – including a fair bit of groups who never really crossed the Atlantic to invade our shores at the time! Liverpool is best known as the home of The Beatles, but during the early 60s, the city was host to a huge wave of creative activity – as were nearby cities in the north of England – and as you'll hear in this set, there was no end to the range of groups making killer records over the space of number of years! Some of the work here will ring your ears with familiar tones from UK 60s rock, yet in ways that are different than the mod styles down in London, there's plenty of overlooked gems here to discover – and given that the box set goes well into the second half of the 60s, there's plenty of tracks here that are way different than just the work that grew up in the shadows of the fab four! The package has that fantastic presentation we love from the Grapefruit/Strawberry label – really well-chosen cuts, supported by very detailed notes – a massive 93 tracks in all, with work from The Perishers, Quotations, Satin Bells, Cilla Black, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Wimple Witch, Selftons, 23rd Turnoff, Tony Jackson & The Vibrations, The Mojos, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Wailing Howie Casey & The Seniors, Lee Curtis & The All-Stars, The Big Three, The Kinsleys, Wellington Wade, and dozens of others! CD

Never-heard songs from the Motown empire of the 60s – all new discoveries from the label's mighty deep vaults – all of them totally great tracks that make for a superb new look at the Detroit powerhouse of soul! Many of these cuts are in a Northern Soul mode – the kind of upbeat groovers that made Motown a huge favorite on the British scene right from the start, and which make the UK Kent label a perfect spot to showcase work this great – with detailed notes on all the tracks, excellent sound quality, and an impeccable ear for choosing just the right sort of tracks to pop a groove like the bigger singles from the label. Some of the cuts here are early recordings by artists who'd later break big, others are more obscure Motown acts – and the package features 24 titles that include "Goose Wobbling Time" by Popcorn Wylie, "I'll Be Satisfied" by Frank Wilson, "Where Are You" by Ivy Jo, "One Track Mind" by Marv Johnson, "Heart To Heart" by Earl Van Dyke, "Head Over Heels In Love With You Baby" by Edwin Starr, "I'm Here Now That You Need Me" by The Fantastic Four, "Imagination Is Running Wild" by The Spinners, "The In Crowd" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Wish I Didn't Love You So" by The Monitors, "The Touch Of Venus" by Marvin Gaye, "I'd Rather Forget" by The Temptations, and "Kissing In The Shadows" by Johnny Bristol. CD

An amazing collection of funky nuggets – one that's overflowing with hip soul, funk, and break tracks! The set's the second in a series put together by the staff of London's Soul Brother Records – and like the first, it features some of the most sought-after rare grooves and sample tracks from the 70s – a rich array of titles from a variety of different labels, all collected with a keen ear for the older tracks that are still breaking big well into the 21st Century! And since these guys also run a record store themselves, they've gone way past the obvious – and have chosen an all-essential batch of tunes that aren't easily available on the market, including some killer tracks from major labels that we've been waiting years to see reissued. Titles include "Oops Here I Go Again" by Edna Wright, "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More" by Kellee Patterson, "Sho Nuff" by Sly Slick & Wicked, "All I Want Is You" by Four Flights, "Live For Love" by GC Cameron, "I Feel So At Home Here" by Michelle Wiley, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "My Music" by Samuel Jonathan Johnson, "Heaven" by Ruth Copeland, "It's Got To Be Mellow (1976)" by Leon Mellow, "Making Room For Love" by Alton McClain & Destiny, and "When We're Makin Love" by Denise LaSalle. LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, February 7-10, 1983. A HUGE amount of material! Includes the tracks "Say Hello", "Walk The Dog", "Violin Solo", "Closed Circuits", "For A Large And Changing Room", "Pictures Of It", "Language Of The Future", "Reverb", "If You Can't Talk About It, Point To It", "City Song", "Finnish Farmers", "Democratic Way", "Private Property", "Neon Duet", "Difficult Listening Hour", "So Happy Birthday", "Dance Of Electricity", "Sax Duet", "Born, Never Asked", "From The Air", "Beginning French", "Talkshow", "Cello Solo", "Blue Lagoon", "Stiff Neck", "Hothead", "Telephone Song", "Sweaters", "We've Got Four Big Clocks", "I Dreamed I Had To Take A Test", "Big Top", "It Was Up In The Mountains", "Big Science", "Red Map", "Strike", "False Documents", and many, many more! LP, Vinyl record album

The Beatles live at the BBC – heard here in a host of rare recordings that were done between March 1962 and June 1965 – pulled from the vaults of the legendary radio station, and with a few cool dialogue bits too! The versions here were all played live on the air, and make for some much-needed alternate takes on the big hits by the Fab Four – and a few American numbers that really show the influence of other styles on their early sound. And since the recordings were done in a top-shelf studio, they're not muddy concert recordings – but actually feel more like some lost EMI studio material from the same period. 71 titles in all – including "Nothin Shakin", "The Hippy Hippy Shake", "Glad All Over", "Rock & Roll Music", "Ticket To Ride", "Ooh My Soul", "Don't Ever Change", "Slow Down", "Matchbox", "I Forgot To Remember To Forget", "The Honeymoon Song", "Lucille", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Taste Of Honey", "From Us To You", "I Got A Woman", "I'll Be On My Way", "Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Some Other Guy", "Soldier Of Love", and "Clarabella". CD

Some of the first bop sides cut by Americans in Paris – a quartet of material from four different sessions, issued properly for the first time on CD, with great mastering, and a good set of notes in French and English! Don Byas is at the forefront of two sessions here – one with the Tyree Glenn Orchestra, the other featuring the Don Byas Ree-Boppers – and tracks on those include "Walking Around", "Red Cross", "Cement Mixer", "Mad Monk", "Billie's Bounce", and "The Hour Of Parting". Howard McGhee is next up – with 7 tracks from a rare 1948 session, and titles that include "Big Will", "Donna Lee", "Nicole", "Denise", and "Punkins". Last up are four tunes by James Moody – cut during the prime of his early bop years, in 1949, and done with a nicely modern edge. Titles include "Verso", "Recto", "Oh Well", and "Convulsions". 23 tracks in all! CD

Aretha Franklin at the end of the 80s – capping off a big run of records for Arista with another successful collaboration with Narada Michael Walden! There's a bit more of a groove here than before – a nice bounce on many cuts that almost brings in a slight new jack flavor – but handled with a bit more class, given Walden's legacy – and the album's got a lot of collaborative moments, including appearances from James Brown, Whitney Houston, Elton John, The Four Tops, and Kenny G. Titles include "Gimme Your Love", "Mercy", "It Isn't It Wasn't It Ain't Never Gonna Be", "Through The Storm", "If Ever A Love There Was", "Think 1989", and "Come To Me". CD

Four albums from this wonderful group – all presented here with great sonic quality too! First up is Grazin – the debut album from Friends Of Distinction – a very groovy LA harmony vocal group who really transcended the worlds of pop and soul! The quartet were originally part of the earlier Rex Middleton's Hi Fi group – which split into both Friends Of Distinction, and 5th Dimension – and like that other, slightly more famous group, FoD have a soaring approach that really reflects their years in music, tuned towards a groovier late 60s style! The record sports their hit vocal version of Hugh Masekela's "Grazing In The Grass", with the great "I can dig it" line, plus an excellent reading of a lost cut by funky drummer Roy Porter, entitled "Lonesome Mood" – next to other great titles that include "Sweet Young Thing Like You", "Peaceful", "Baby I Could Be So Good At Loving You", "Eli's Coming", and "Going In Circles". Real Friends is a stone early winner from The Friends Of Distinction – featuring a great set of pop soul tunes that really let the group shine in the harmony department! Vocal arrangements are by Jerry Peters – who really pushes the structure of the vocals, taking the singing to a level only hinted at on the group's previous album, combining 60s pop harmony with uptown soul production, given a bit of a smooth 70s touch. Titles include the hit "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely", plus "Any Way You Want Me", "Crazy Mary", "Long Time Comin My Way", "Just a Little Lovin", "It Don't Matter to Me", and "My Mind Is A Camera". Next is Highly Distinct – beautiful baroque soul from LA! The Friends of Distinction were always best known for their big hit version of "Grazing In the Grass" (not on this LP), but they were a pretty progressive soul group, and they spent a lot of time in the studio coming up with cool new ways to present their vocal style. This album includes a very cool "psyche" cut-up track called "Impressions", and it's two minutes worth of tape experiments that might have been lifted from The White Album. The cut then runs right into a great batch of groovy pop soul tracks, like "It's Just A Game Love", "Workin On A Groovy Thing", "It's Sunday", and "Let Yourself Go". Whatever is filled with some nice little groovers from the enigmatic Friends Of Distinction – and a record recorded right after their big "Grazin In The Grass" fame. The album features lots of cool arrangements from Jerry Peters – whose handling of the group pushed them past a simple pop-soul vocal combo into the realm of the more far-reaching soul acts of their time. Most tracks have vocal solos on the main parts – mostly by Barbara Love or Floyd Butler – and tracks include "You and I", "People Talkin & Sayin Nothin", "Bring Us A Better Day", "Great Day", and "Check It Out". CD

A fantastic full-length debut from Nubya Garcia – a tenor saxophonist who's been making big waves on the London scene in recent work – and who, like most of her contemporaries in that city, is determined to push jazz into new dimensions that will keep the artform growing and alive for decades to come! At the core is Nubya's quartet – an excellent group that features Joe Armon-Jones on piano and Wurlitzer, Daniel Casimir on bass, and Sam Jones on drums – all working with energy that's boundless, and always has us running to the notes to figure out of there's more people working than just those four! And in most cases, that's not what's going on – save for a few spots that feature guest trumpet from Ms Maurice, and the occasional vocal appearance – hardly distractions from the amazing spirit and energy of the quartet at the core. Really wonderful work from a player who is rising up to be a key part of the next generation of jazz – on titles that include "Together Is A Beautiful Place To Be", "Source", "The Message Continues", "Pace", "La Cumbia Me Esta Llmando", and "Boundless Beings". LP, Vinyl record album

This is the second of two live albums that Marvin Gaye cut during the 70s – and in many ways, it's the better one! The record features three sides of work recorded live at the London Palladium – mostly in these swirling medleys that are introduced by Marvin in a very soulful mode, then swing into well-arranged combinations of classic tunes with some excellent instrumentation. The album features a few straight cuts like "Since I Had You", "Let's Get It On", "Trouble Man", and "Come Get To This" – but the medleys are great, too, especially the second one, which features kind of a mini version of the album What's Going On! But then, even after all that, comes a slamming studio track – the extended funky groover "Got To Give It Up", which took up all of side four on the original LP, and has some great keyboards by Marvin and cool rhythm work by Jack Ashford. All very funky, and Marvin's big bid at a club cut – one that worked pretty darn well! CD

John Legend recreates the classic soul music Christmas album in more ways than one! First, he works with just the right blend of soul and seasonal touches – at a level that recalls the way that Motown transformed its own music for its famous Christmas albums back in the day! And also, Legend works with a number of songs that have gone on to become soul-specific Christmas classics – in addition to his own takes on other holiday favorites. Raphael Saadiq produced, which is a big part of the success of the set – and titles include "Purple Snowflakes", "Silver Bells", "Wrap Me Up In Your Love", "No Place Like Home", "Bring Me Love", "What Christmas Means To Me", "Please Come Home For Christmas", "Waiting For Christmas", and "Christmas Time Is Here". Special deluxe version – with four bonus tracks not on the regular version, including a duet with Kelly Clarkson on "Baby It's Cold Outside". CD

A really bold step forward for David Murray – a seminal live recording that features one of the hippest big bands you'll ever hope to find! Murray really uses the date as a chance to express the full range of his musical talents – and often shows modes that are more traditional than you might expect, yet which are always touched with an undercurrent of modernism! The musical palette here is quite different than either the outside or inside sessions recorded by Murray with a small group at the time – and he really reaches back through a rich history of jazz in the performance, and updates it wonderfully with help from players who include Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Olu Dara on cornet, Craig Harris on trombone, Vincent Chaney on French horn, Steve Coleman on alto and soprano sax, Rod Williams on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Butch Morris conducts – and titles on this second volume include "Dewey's Circle", "Roses", "David Tune", "Four Minute Marvin", and "Great Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Michael Smith departed this planet all too soon, yet managed to leave behind this righteous gem from the early 80s – a set that's got superb production from Dennis Bovell and Linton Kwesi Johnson, and a vibe that's very much like the best work of the latter! Smith's as much a poet as Johnson, but also works a lot more slang into his words – giving the record a very down to earth, on the streets sort of vibe – one that's certainly hinted at by the title. The production is great – clear and clean, yet never commercial – hardly the stuff of big reggae hits on Island at the time, with a selection of message-oriented tunes that include "Picture Or Picture", "Roots", "Mi Feel It", "Black N White", "It A Come", "Long Time", "Trainer"- and "Give Me A Little Dub Music". LP, Vinyl record album

The lone album from Temple Of The Dog – featuring members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, but recorded before Pearl Jam's massive debut and before Soundgarden broke out in a big way commercially – subverting, in a way, the idea of the rock supergroup! Intended as a tribute to then recently deceased singer Andrew Wood of peers Mother Love Bone, it's a surprisingly grounded, earnest effort that no doubt inspired Soundgarden and Pearl Jam songwriting to come. Includes the surprise hit "Hunger Strike", plus "Say Hello 2 Heaven", "Pushin Forward Back", "Wooden Jesus", "Four Walled World", "All Night Thing", "Call Me A Dog", "Times Of Trouble" and more. CD

One of the last great acoustic sessions before Stanley Turrentine's big electric run of the 70s – a laidback, open-ended session that really paves the way for the energy of his records on CTI – even though none of the players is plugging in at all! The tracks are all nice and long, and have these beautiful solos from Stan – played with all the bite of his early Blue Note years, but a bit more fluidity too – which makes for a great match for the album's warm piano work from Cedar Walton. Thad Jones plays fluegelhorn on most tracks – and the quintet also features Buster Williams on bass and Mickey Roker on drums. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Six & Four", "Quittin' Time", and "Get It". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic soul, with a slight touch of funk – all served up in a limited vinyl-only package that really does justice to the longstanding legacy of the Free Soul series from Japan! The tunes here are upbeat, soaring, and very much on the positive side of soul music from back in the day – and although most of these tracks are more obscure than the big hits of the 70s, they've achieved greater fame over the decades – thanks in part to use as samples, and through great collections like this one! Titles on this second volume include "My Baby's Got ESP" by Four Below Zero, "Jolie" by Latimore, "Ain't It Good Feeling Good" by Eloise Laws, "Changin" by Sharon Ridley, "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me" by Jewell Bass, "Queen Of My Soul" by Average White Band, "Party Down (part 1)" by Little Beaver, "You've Got To Be The One" by Maryann Farra & Satin Soul, "Love Land" by The Lost Generation, and "My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Nina Simone. LP, Vinyl record album

The resurgence of one of the most groundbreaking periods in recent groove history – the almost-forgotten post-punk years in England, a time of incredible musical convergence! In the heady days of the early 80s – a time when much music was being lost under a gloss of big hair, tinny keyboards, and wispy vocals – a small underground of British musicians were bringing together bits of funk, punk, disco, reggae, and 70s electronica – crafting dark and funky little tunes the likes of which we've barely heard since! A number of these groups went onto do much larger (and weaker) recordings – but this package brilliantly documents the edgy brilliance at the beginning of the post punk years: a nihilistic horizon on the other end of punk – no longer angry, caustic, and shouting, on one hand with the wind knocked out of its apparent sails, on the other, slowly fomenting in secret places, coming up with music far more powerful than punk ever was. And for some strange reason, much of it was pretty darn funky – thanks to a heavy use of simple electric bass, scattershot (sometimes primitive) drum parts, and nice electronic touches, almost in an inverse to American electro. The music more than speaks for itself – and the set's as classic a batch of tunes from the time as we'd ever heard. Titles include "Shack Up" and "Knife Slits Water" by A Certain Ratio, "In The Beginning There Was Rhythm" by The Slits, "20 Jazz Funk Greats" by Throbbing Gristle, "Vegas El Bandito" and "Coup" by 23 Skidoo, "She Is Beyond Good & Evil" by The Pop Group, "Being Boiled" by The Human League, "To Hell With Poverty" by Gang Of Four, and "24 Track Loop" by This Heat. LP, Vinyl record album

If there's one thing we love more than Christmas songs, it's novelty Christmas songs – the kind of silly, goofy tunes that somehow do a great job of cutting through the overwrought sentiment that sometimes mars other Holiday music! This set definitely gets the spirit of novelty Christmas songs right – as it brings together 28 cool cuts from those years when the 45rpm single meant that new and unusual Christmas tunes were recorded every single year – and often in ways that tried to be wilder than usual, in hopes of getting attention! There's plenty of tracks like that here – in a set list that includes "I Want A Big White Cadillac For Christmas" by Little Joey Far, "Rockin Santa Claus" by The Moods, "Rockin N Rollin With Santa Claus" by The Hepsters, "Elvis For Christmas" by Mad Milo, "Santa Claus Is Watching You" by Ray Stevens, "Baby Sittin Santa" by Barry Richards, "I Saw Mommy Do The Mambo With You Know Who" by Barry Richards, "Jingle Rock" by Tommy Lee & The Orbits, and "Santa's Got A Coupe De Ville" by The Four Imperials. CD

A treasure trove of rare gospel recordings from the Chicago scene of the 70s – all served up on a family of labels that were tied together in the same way as some of the indie soul and funk labels of the time! Producer Harold Freeman recorded most of this music, at a time between big opportunities for gospel acts on larger labels – and the work includes some much bigger names who'd later go onto great fame, and some key Chicago artists who might never have gotten exposure otherwise – represented here with recordings that appeared on the Righteous, Peace, and Michael record labels. The 2CD set is a fantastic look into this small local scene – presented with very detailed notes on Freeman and his recordings – in support of a batch of 46 tracks that includes work by the Gospel Sensationals, Inspirational Singers, Rev Maceo Woods, James E Lenox, Brother Ed Smith, Wings Of Heaven Choir, Sammie Cheatham, Voices Of Cosmopolitan, Reba Harris, Pearl McGhee, Windy City Four, and many others! CD

Four incredible albums from Hammond legend Brian Auger – a key link between jazz and the headier sounds of the UK scene at the end of the 60s! First up is Open – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". Definitely What is a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". Streetwise is filled great funky grooves by the legendary Trinity group – featuring excellent keyboard work by Brian Auger, recorded during the period when he was really beginning to stretch out a bit, and hit a much more open-ended kind of sound. Julie Driscoll is still on vocals, singing in her raw sound, but Brian's Trinity group gets a fair number of nice instrumental moments on the set – which are greatly appreciated! Titles include the classic and sample laden "Light My Fire", "Czechoslovakia", "Finally Found You Out", "In Search Of The Sun", "Ellis Island", "I've Got Life", and "Save The Country". Befour is the third album from Brian Auger & The Trinity – and the first to feature the group recording without vocals from Julie Driscoll! The sound here is just as soulful as before – a tight take on American soul jazz and funky soul of the 60s – pushed along by Auger's mighty work on the Hammond organ, and featuring (this time around) some male lead vocals, which seem to give the album an even deeper feel than earlier work! Auger's included some great covers of American tunes like "I Want To Take You Higher", "Listen Here", and "Maiden Voyage" – all redone with some great Brit beat group touches – and the album also features a great take on Faure's "Pavane", and Auger's own "Just You Just Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beatles live at the BBC – heard here in a host of rare recordings that were done between March 1962 and June 1965 – pulled from the vaults of the legendary radio station, and with a few cool dialogue bits too! The versions here were all played live on the air, and make for some much-needed alternate takes on the big hits by the Fab Four – and a few American numbers that really show the influence of other styles on their early sound. And since the recordings were done in a top-shelf studio, they're not muddy concert recordings – but actually feel more like some lost EMI studio material from the same period. 71 titles in all – including "Nothin Shakin", "The Hippy Hippy Shake", "Glad All Over", "Rock & Roll Music", "Ticket To Ride", "Ooh My Soul", "Don't Ever Change", "Slow Down", "Matchbox", "I Forgot To Remember To Forget", "The Honeymoon Song", "Lucille", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Taste Of Honey", "From Us To You", "I Got A Woman", "I'll Be On My Way", "Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", "Some Other Guy", "Soldier Of Love", and "Clarabella". Cassette

A historic pairing of blues talents – one that only flourished for a few short years, but created some wonderful music together! Leroy Carr brings lots of jazz inflections to his work on piano, but the overall sound is definitely blues – thanks strongly to the guitar lines of Scrapper Blackwell, who really helps give the tunes a nice rough edge, and hammers home the punch of the lyrics too! This 20 track set brings together rare 78rpm recordings done mostly for the Vocalion label, plus a few Bluebird tracks as well – and titles include "How Long How Long Blues", "Gettin All Wet", "Love Hides All Faults", "Naptown Blues", "Baby Don't You Love Me No More", "Lonesome Nights", "When The Sun Goes Down", "Going Back Home", "Big Four Blues", and "Papa Wants A Cookie". CD

Sublime vocal work from the lovely Chris Connor – a collection of her key mid 50s recordings for Bethlehem Records, all tracks that really helped redefine the sound of the voice in jazz at the time! Before working at Bethlehem, Chris was mostly known as the singer in the big bands of Stan Kenton and Claude Thornhill – but on these recordings, the label wisely set her up in small group format – giving Connor a newly sensitive setting that produced tracks that are still some of her greatest ever! Backings are by the Ellis Larkin Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, and the Ralph Sharon Group – and the CD features 21 tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "Lush Life", "Why Shouldn't I", "Ridin High", "All This & Heaven Too", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Trouble Is A Man", "Stella By Starlight", "He's Coming Home", "Goodbye", and "A Cottage For Sale". CD

Two great albums from a time when Maynard Ferguson was really hitting his stride – back to back on one CD! New Sounds is a really nice set, and very much in the best spirit of the excellent early 60s albums that Maynard cut for Roulette! As with those, there's some great players working in the group – a lineup that includes Willie Maiden on tenor sax, Dusko Goykovich (horribly misspelled in the notes) on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on Baritone, and Lanny Morgan on alto – all of whom get to step out in short but soulful solos that make the tracks bristle with more excitement than you'd think. And as with other Cameo jazz sides from the time, Rufus Jones is on drums – bringing in a nice little punch to the tracks that kicks them up in just the right sort of way. Titles include the originals "Bossa Nova De Funk", "Maine Bone", and "At The Sound Of The Trumpet" – plus a version of "Watermelon Man", and the bonus track "The Song Is You". Come Blow Your Horn is a surprisingly nice album of big band material from Maynard – recorded at a time when he was just getting his start as a big name, and still handling some hip enough players to make the groove swing! One track claims to have a "Dusan Goykovich" as a soloist – who we can only imagine to be our man Dusko Goykovich – and the record has plenty other nice solos by Lanny Morgan. Arrangements are by Don Sebesky, Al Cohn, Willie Maiden, and Oliver Nelson – and tracks include "Groove", "Whisper Not", "Blues For A Four String Guitar", "New Hope", and "Naked City Theme". CD

Aretha Franklin at the end of the 80s – capping off a big run of records for Arista with another successful collaboration with Narada Michael Walden! There's a bit more of a groove here than before – a nice bounce on many cuts that almost brings in a slight new jack flavor – but handled with a bit more class, given Walden's legacy – and the album's got a lot of collaborative moments, including appearances from James Brown, Whitney Houston, Elton John, The Four Tops, and Kenny G. Titles include "Gimme Your Love", "Mercy", "It Isn't It Wasn't It Ain't Never Gonna Be", "Through The Storm", "If Ever A Love There Was", "Think 1989", and "Come To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare slices of work from Little Richard – both from more unusual periods in his career! The set begins with some early 60s tracks from a time when Richard wasn't with any big label, and was doing some tracks on his own – four titles that he licensed to Atlantic Records for issue on 7" singles – none of which did well, which makes these some of his most obscure tracks of the 60s! The rest of the work here is from Little Richard's great comeback stretch on Warner Brothers – best known for three great funky albums with production from Bumps Blackwell – and presented here with single versions of those album tracks, plus one non-LP release too! Titles include "Hole In The Wall", "Travelin Shoes", "It Is No Secret", "Freedom Blues", "Greenwood Mississippi", "Shake A Hand", "Money Is", "Nuki Suki", "Dancing In The Street", "Green Power", and "Somebody Saw You". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". LP, Vinyl record album

A key second chapter in the long and wonderful career of Joni Mitchell – a set that brings together the four albums she recorded for the Asylum label in the mid 70s – a post-Blue period that really had Joni opening up and exploring a lot in her music – including a jazzier side of the spectrum that never showed up as strongly before! First up is For The Roses – a sometimes-overlooked album in the career of Joni Mitchell – but a set that's every bit as great as the two huge hits that bracket it! Joni's really finding a great way forward, sounding more mature, and bringing some jazzier currents into her music – thanks in part to help from reedman Tom Scott and bassist Wilton Felder of The Crusaders – and a style of songwriting that's sometimes more fluid than before, and often a lot more biting too! Titles include "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "You Turn Me On I'm A Radio", "For The Roses", "Barbangrill", "Cold Blue Steel & Sweet Fire", "Let The Wind Carry Me", "Lesson In Survival", and "Judgement Of The Moon & Stars". Court & Spark is a key record in the second chapter of Joni Mitchell on record – a set that has both her vocals and her overall music style flowing with all these amazing touches you might not have heard a few years before – jazzier currents in her music that really set the album apart from earlier work in Joni's career! Mitchell responds to the music with soaring vocals that are completely wonderful, and nicely changed up in character from tune to tune – given backing by a host of great jazz and studio players who include Tom Scott on reeds and Joe Sample on keyboards! Titles include her classic version of "Twisted" – a redone version of the old Annie Ross track – plus the classic hit "Help Me", and "Just Like This Train", "Car On A Hill", "Court & Spark", "Down To You", "Free Man In Paris", and "People's Parties". Miles Of Aisles is the first-ever live album from Joni Mitchell – and a record that sounds a fair bit different than a concert set might have during the Reprise years – as Joni's got plenty of help from Tom Scott & The LA Express, who bring a tight yet intimate vibe to the proceedings! Joni's definitely a superstar at this point – as you might guess from the size of the amphitheater on the cover – but she's also got an even stronger ability to come across with a personal, pointed style – one that's very different than the overblown hype of so many other 70s live albums. The set includes a few tracks not yet on albums, and a nice mix of material – including the live version of "Big Yellow Taxi" that ended up as a hit single – and the cuts"You Turn Me On I'm A Radio", "Blue", "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "Both Sides Now", "Real Good For Free", "Jericho", "Circle Game", "Cactus Tree", "The Last Time I Saw Richard", "People's Parties", and "Woodstock". Hissing Of Summer Lawns is a further step forward in the career of Joni Mitchell – a record that not only continues the jazzier currents she explored in the 70s, but also brings in a whole bunch of different modes as well – so much so, it's almost as if Joni's daring anyone to still call her a folk singer with the album! The themes are wonderfully sophisticated, as is the songwriting – the king of material that would keep Mitchell strong for decades, while so many of her contemporaries faltered – as you'll hear on the tracks "In France They Kiss On Main Street", "Sweet Bird", "Shadows & Light", "The Boho Dance", "Don't Interrupt The Sorrow", "The Jungle Line", and "Edith & The Kingpin". CD

Nicholas Payton shines in two different ways here – blowing trumpet, and handling piano and Fender Rhodes – often overdubbed, but with a unified sound that makes the album sound wonderful throughout! Part of the strength of the set is the rhythm backing – as Payton works with help from bassist Ron Carter, a player he'd always dreamed of recording with – alongside more regular drummer Karrie Riggins, who fits into the trio with a really magical sense of energy. Tenorist George Coleman joins the group on two tracks – partly as a nod to the Miles Davis album Four & More, which was some of the inspiration for the sound of this set – and titles include "Gold Dust Black Magic", "Q For Quincy Jones", "Big George", "Hangin In & Jivin", "Levin's Ope", "No Lonely Nights", "Big George", and "Lullaby For A Lamppost". CD

Harry Smith's much revered efforts to compile the deepest early-to-mid 20th Century American folk music resulted in the monumental Anthology Of American Folk Music box set – plus this later volume that didn't make it into the original set or the celebrated reissue – and sadly went unissued at all until 2000! Despite the lack of a commercial release for the set, Volume Four includes a number of tracks that ended up to be just as ingrained in the American folk, blues, and country conciousness as the cuts from its more famous big brother collection – with a bit more of a dip into the blues, gospel and cajun music of the time. 28 tracks on 2CDs – plus a thick, and truly excellent book featuring notes on the artists, photos, illustrations, text and essays by Greil Marcus, John Fahey, Ed Sanders, John Cohen and Dick Spottswood – nearly 100 pages worth! Tracks include "Memphis Shakedown" by the Memphis Jug Band, "Dog And Gun" by Bradley Kinkaid, "Nine Pound Hammer" by the Carter Family, "Packin' Trunk Blues" by Leadbelly, "Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train" by Uncle Dave Macon, "Milk Cow Blues" by John Estes, "The Cockeyed World" by Minnie Wallace, "Ace's Breakdown" by the Four Aces and many more! CD

A much-needed look at the Dutch jazz scene in the 50s and 60s – a spot in Europe that was turning out some really fantastic modern material – at a level that's every bit as great as better-known work coming from France, Germany, and Scandinavia at the time! Many of the players here quickly became giants who would dominate on the Dutch scene for years to come – and even at this early point, their work is wonderful – occasionally graced with guest work from American players, but already more than great enough on its own – and filled with a mix of sharp rhythms, new ideas, and impeccable instrumentation throughout. As with other Sdban titles, the presentation is wonderful – not just a great set list, but an overall feel that makes the package as hefty as the music inside. Titles include "Four On Six" by Kwartet Martin Verlinden, "So Why" by Kwartet Leo Meyer, "Amsterdam Blues" by Diamond Five, "Lady Elisabeth" by Tony Vos Quartet, "Blues For Eddy" by Red & Brown Brothers, "Sem" by Frans Elsen, "Relaxin With Rhythme" by The Rhythme All Stars, "Mensen Van Morgen" by Herman Schoonderwalt, "Wives & Lovers" by Rita Reys & Oliver Nelson, "Comin Home Baby" by Trio Tony Vos, "Sing Sing Sing" by Leddy Wessel with Jack Van Poll, "Blues Minor" by Boys Big Band, and "Afro Blues" by Herbie Mann with Wessel Ilcken Combo. LP, Vinyl record album

Hardly the kind of music you'd want to keep in the basement – as the set's overflowing with classic soul from the 60s – especially the kind of underground nuggets we love so much! If we had to pick a style, we might say that the collection's heavy on Northern Soul rompers from the American indie scene way beyond Detroit – but there's also lots of other tasty flavors on here too, including some special west coast numbers and early funk tracks that really give the whole thing a great sense of variety – while still keeping to the upbeat, lively rhythms that make the set so great! Every track's a winner – and although most of these tracks never charted at the time, most have gone onto win big fame through constant circulation between DJs and collectors over the past few decades. Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles, "Sign On The Dotted Line" by Gene Latter, "Peaches N Cream" by The Ikettes, "Tramp" by Lowell Fulsom, "I'll Never Forget You" by Marke & Chris Jackson, "Take It Baby" by The Showmen, "Ooh Wee Baby I Love You" by Fred Jackson, "Giving Up" by The Ad Libs, "With This Ring" by The Platters, "One Eye Open" by Maskman & The Agents, "Baby Please Come Back Home" by JJ Barnes, "Gotta Give Her Love" by The Volumes, and "Believe In Me Baby (part 1)" by Jesse James & The Dynamic Four. CD

The first album by The Sylvers – a soulful band made up of youngsters from the Los Angeles scene, but who had a lot more going on than some of the other kiddie-soul bands of the early 70s! The group's a sextet at this point, with four male voices and two female ones – coming across as a sweet blend of tenor and soprano harmonies, in a similar mode to the Five Stairsteps – but maybe with a deeper, grittier vibe overall! The record has a solid sound and a funky groove that gives you a hint at what stars the kids would grow up to be – as not only The Sylvers would go on to crack the charts big, but members Leon and Foster would do some pretty great soul work on their own. Jerry Peters did arrangements on the best cuts – with that slightly messed-up groove that he brought to his best 70s work. The record includes the great funky sample cut "Fool's Paradise", which has a great intro that steps along with a fierce bongo sample! Also includes some nice mellower soul material – like "Wish That I Could Talk to You", "I Know Myself", and "Chaos" – with bonus cuts "I'm Just A Lonely Soul", "Time To Ride", and "Come On Give Me A Chance". All that, and Jerry Butler production too! CD