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Blues recorded in St Louis, but with a sound that's much more rural overall – maybe no surprise, given the countless travel by Big Joe Williams on the highways of the south! The setting is lean enough to be recorded out in the field – Big Joe on these wonderfully expressive vocals and his unique nine string guitar – with support from Ransom Knowling on bass, but at a level that really just helps the tunes get this subtle groove – really letting be the shining star up front! In keeping with the title of the record, many of the tunes have themes of travel in the south – titles that include "Overhaul Your Machine", "45 Blues", "Arkansas Woman", "Four Corners Of The World", "Down In The Bottom", and "Blues Left Texas". CD

The first-ever full length album from Big Joe Williams, despite a much longer legacy as a blues singer in the south – captured in a few different intimate settings in St Louis by the then-fledgling Delmark Records! The approach is very lean, of the sort that made the record a key statement in the folk blues revival at the end of the 50s – with Joe playing this really unique nine string guitar from two different instruments put together, and singing with this really compelling trill in his voice that marks the singer as very distinct from so many others in his generation. JD Short adds harmonica and a bit of guitar – and titles include "Mellow Peaches", "No More Whiskey", "Tailor Made Babe", "Omaha Blues", "Juanita", "Tailor Made Babe", and the interesting "Big Joe Talking" – which has Williams speaking a bit on his life! CD

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Count Basie's always had plenty of blues roots in his music – but this sweet vocal session with Joe Williams pushes that quality even further – by featuring a selection of tunes from Big Bill Broonzy, Leroy Carr, Ivory Joe Hunter, and other legendary blues talents! The sound is maybe a bit more laidback than usual for Basie on Roulette – often with the Count's piano kind of slinking into a tune before the bigger ensemble joins in – and Williams taking this bluesy approach to the vocals that's plenty darn nice. An overlooked gem from the pair – with titles that include "Mean Mistreater", "Tomorrow Night", "Keep Your Hand On Your Heart", "Night Time Is The Right Time", "Key To The Highway", and "Lyin Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Williams was really reviving his career as a vocalist at this point – working with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band on a few well-selling records, and on this smoother set with arrangements by Horace Ott. The overall feel is kind of in a swinging Grady Tate mode, with jazziness underneath larger orchestrations that have more of a popish quality to them – and Joe stretches his style to work on songs like Milton Nascimento's "Bridges", plus "Didn't We", "You Send Me", "I Hold No Grudge", "Oh Darling", and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky big band album, recorded by Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, with the great Joe Williams on vocals! The record is one of the most sought-after by the team – probably because it includes the hard breakbeat version of "Get Out of My Life Woman" that's been sampled often over the years. (Actually, hasn't every version of it been sampled by someone?) The other tracks are pretty funky, too, with nice soul groovers like "Night Time Is The Right Time", "Woman's Got Soul", and "How Sweet It Is". Players include Pepper Adams, Joe Farrell, Jerome Richardson, and Roland Hanna – and the Jones/Lewis group is at the height of its hipness here! CD

One of the last albums ever issued by the great Cannonball Adderley – and one of the most ambitious, too! The set's a concept album – done in close collaboration with David Axelrod, in a similar spirit to some of Cannon's projects on the zodiac or the bible – but this time turned towards the legend of John Henry! The set's got some fuller orchestrations than some of the others – a bit of strings and a chorus, which sometimes gives the record the feel of a blacksploitation album, sometimes more of a Melvin Van Peebles project. Lead vocals are by Joe Williams, Randy Crawford, and Robert Guillaume – and the core combo features work from Cannonball on alto sax, Dawili Gonga on keyboards, Airto on percussion, and George Bohannon on trombone – on titles that include "Hundred an One Year", "Poundin", "The Steamdrill", "New Star Risin", "On His Bones", "Anybody Need A Big Man", "The Broomstick Song", and "Ten Mile Of Mountain". CD

A pair of very cool sessions – one side that features work by the Dizzy Gillespie big band, with Mary Lou Williams on piano – the other by the Count Basie band, with hip arrangements from Frank Foster and AK Salim, and tenor work by both Foster and Frank Wess! LP, Vinyl record album

Genius 70s work from Woody Herman – funky big band with electric touches, served up on a range of wonderful tunes! Woody's still at the helm of the group on saxes and clarinet – but as with other Fantasy and Cadet albums, the real thanks here goes to arrangers – who include Bill Stapleton, Alan Broadbent, Tony Klatka, and Richard Evans – who's making a brief post-Cadet appearance here to serve up a fierce version of his classic "First Thing I Do" – a jazzy reworking of the Joyce Williams tune, done here with a nice break, wah-wah guitar, and a real badass soundtrack style! Rhythm players include Joe Beck and Ray Barretto – and the whole album's great throughout. Titles include "Think On Me", "A Child Is Born", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "First Thing I Do", "Giant Steps", and a great take on Chick Corea's "La Fiesta", complete with electric piano! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest large American ensembles of the late 60s – almost a US equivalent to the groovy sound of the Clark Boland Big Band over in Europe! Trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis had already made some great music together on their own – but once they came together in a record like this, they really found a great new direction for their energy – a bold musical force that's strong enough to also encompass the rich talents of players who include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Joe Farrell on tenor, Jerome Richardson on soprano sax, Richard Williams on trumpet, Bob Brookmeyer and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Hank Jones on piano, and Richard Davis on bass! The sound is full, but never overwhelming – and like the Clark Boland group, this one has a great way of breaking open to allow key soloists to have some great space on their own – a modern approach, and one that still never has the band losing its groove. Titles include "ABC Blues", "Mean What You Say", "Three & One", and "Once Around". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer to Woodstock – which took place just a few weeks before – as the festival featured a great scope of blues talents, from the rootsier sort of artists who were recording for labels like Folkways or Arhoolie, to some of the sharper modern talents rising to the top on Chess or Delmark! The package alone is almost worth the price of admission – beautiful photographs of the event, detailed notes, and the first-ever release of this music – which has sat in the vaults for decades, finally to see the light of day. Titles include "Dirty Mother For You" by Roosevelt Sykes, "So Glad You're Mine" by Arthur Big Boy Crudup, "Everybody Must Suffer/Stone Crazy" by Luther Allison & The Blue Nebulae, "Help Me" by Junior Wells, "I Wonder Why" by Jimmy Dawkins, "Too Much Alcohol" by JB Hutto & His Hawks, "So Many Roads So Many Trains" by Otis Rush, "Long Distance Call" by Muddy Waters, "Off The Wall" by James Cotton Band, "Juanita" by Big Joe Williams, "Jelly Jelly Blues" by Shirley Griffin, "I Feel So Good" by Magic Sam, "Call It Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker, "Death Letter Blues" by Son House, "Key To The Highway" by Sam Lay, and "Mojo Hand" by Lightnin Hopkins. CD

Music from Junior Wells, Big Joe Williams, Jimmie Lee Robinson, Big Time Sarah, Robert Jr Lockwood, Arthur Crudup, Otis Rush, JB Hutto, Jimmy Johnson, Curtis Jomes, Speckled Red and more. CD

Featuring Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Eckstine, Anita O'Day, Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Jack Teagarden, & Big Bill Broonzy. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Wynonie Harris, The Dominoes, Louis Jordan, Paul Williams, Jackie Brenston & His Delta Kings, Lloyd Price, Big Mama Thornton, Amos Milburn, The Clovers, Fats Domino, Guitar Slim, Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters, Bill Haley & The Comets, The Five Keys, Muddy Waters, Joe Turner, The Robins, Faye Adams, Gene & Eunice, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, and The Orioles. CD

A pretty amazing and deeply varied 2CD set of far reaching Americana – selections from the second season of Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan – an eclectic, exciting mix of old time soul and r&b, big band, blues, honky tonk and proto rock from decades past, and a few choice numbers from recent years! As tired as you might be of hearing about the towering genius of Saint Dylan (well earned as the kudos may be), it's pretty wonderful to hear what an adventurous ear he has for quality music regardless of genre, and the set is a heck of a lot of fun, too – how else to describe a compilation that features both late 40s kitsch from the Sherman Williams Orchestra – and fiery modern garage rock from The Dirtbombs? 50 songs on 2CDs: "Hello" by The Sherman Williams Orchestra, "Let's Have A Party" by Wanda Jackson, "Sam Stone" by Swamp Dogg, "Jump Into The Fire" by Nilsson, "Fist City" by Loretta Lynn, "One Hand Loose" by Charlie Feathers, "First I Look At The Purse" by The Contours, "Rhode Island Is Famous For You" by Blossom Dearie, "The Glory Of Love" by The Velvetone, "Young Man's Blues" by Mose Allison, "Rocket Nine Takes Off For Planet Venus" by Sun Ra, "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud Loud Music)" by Joe Maphis & Rose Lee and much more. CD

Music from Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Fabian, the Mystics, the Drifters, Jimmy Clanton, the Drifters, Gary US Bonds, Andy Williams, Elvis Presley, the Hollies, and more. CD

Music from Big Joe Williams, James & Fannie Brewer, John Lee Granderson, Otis Spann, Mary Ross, Bill Jackson, James Brewer, Johnny Young, Avery Brady, Fannie Brewer & Jimmy Brown. CD

A very cool little set – maybe not the deepest dive into the decade of the 70s, in that the package isn't full of unissued tracks or super-rare singles – but it does represent a great look at the decade that goes way past the hits, and much farther than the charts – including the sort of material that was slightly ignored at the time, but has gone on to be really appreciated in more recent years! The book-style set is filled with great choices and unusual tunes – work from both the US and UK scenes, some of it by bigger names represented here by more unusual cuts – some by others who barely cracked the mainstream, but did some great work at the time. There's one full CD of female artists, and a pretty unusual mix of titles – 71 titles in all, by artists who include Murray Head, The Records, Ronnie Lane, Terry Reid, Sandy Denny, Wendy Waldman, Freddie King, Montrose, Tim Buckley, Don Nix, Jerry Williams, Big Star, Tony Joe White, Delaney & Bonnie, John Prine, Michael Franks, Bobby Charles, Andy Pratt, Hirth Martinez, Robert Palmer, Jess Roden, Roy Harper, Patto, Sharks, The Roches, Linda Lewis Valerie Carter, and many others! CD

Music from Robert Petway, Big Joe Williams, Leadbelly, Trixie Butler, Tomy Johnson, the Carter Family, Alberta Hunter, Rev JM Gates, Bessie Tucker, Deford Bailey, Frank Crumit, and more. CD

A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer to Woodstock – which took place just a few weeks before – as the festival featured a great scope of blues talents, from the rootsier sort of artists who were recording for labels like Folkways or Arhoolie, to some of the sharper modern talents rising to the top on Chess or Delmark! The package alone is almost worth the price of admission – beautiful photographs of the event, detailed notes, and the first-ever release of this music – which has sat in the vaults for decades, finally to see the light of day. Titles on this second volume include "Long Distance Call" by Muddy Waters, "Off The Wall" by James Cotton Band, "Juanita" by Big Joe Williams, "Jelly Jelly Blues" by Shirley Griffin, "I Feel So Good" by Magic Sam, "Call It Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker, "Death Letter Blues" by Son House, "Key To The Highway" by Sam Lay, and "Mojo Hand" by Lightnin Hopkins. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Fluffy Hunter, Jimmy Rogers, Big Joe Turner, Tini Williams & The Skyliners, Wynonie Harris, The Drivers, Bullmoose Jackson, Big Walter & His Rock Thunderbirds, Du-Droppers, Ruth Brown, Little Esther, Baby Washington, and more – 30 tracks in all. CD

Previously-unissued tracks by Little Brother Montgomery, John Lee Granderson, Big Joe Williams, James Cotton, and Eddie Boyd! All tracks recorded in the early 60s by Norman Dayron – mostly in Chicago basements and apartments! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Sam Chatmon, KC Douglas, Big Joe Williams, RC Smith, Wade Walton, Jasper Love, and Bruce Bratton. CD

Terry Gibbs on vibes, Charlie Kennedy and Joe Maini on alto saxophone, Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone, Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca on tenor saxophone, Bob Edmondson, Frank Rosolino, and Vern Friley on trombone, Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Frank Huggins, Ray Triscari, and Stu Williamson on trumpet, Pat Moran on piano, Buddy Clark on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. CD

Important work from Memphis blues legend Joe Hill Louis – a key postwar figure who was mostly known in the clubs for his act as a one-man band, but who also recorded often during the early years of Sun Records too! In fact, the work here is quite different than any sort of gimmick you might expect from Joe's usual routine – as the young Sam Phillips took great inspiration from the sound of Louis, and recorded him often during the earliest years of his studio and label – learning key lessons that he'd later apply to the bigger names that would make him his hits. The vibe here is nice and raw – similar to some of Sam's early sides with Howlin Wolf – and most numbers feature a combo, not Joe on his own – with players who include Walter Horton on harmonica, Albert Williams on piano, and Willie Nix on drums. Joe plays guitar and sings – often with a nice raw, full sound – on titles that include "She Treats Me Mean & Evil", "Tigerman", "We All Gotta Go Sometime", "My Love Has Gone", "Got A New Woman", "Sweetest Gal In Town", and "Keep Your Arms Around Me". The set also features related Sun Records material, all with Louis – "In The Mood", "West Winds Are Blowing", "We All Got To Go", and "Little Walter's Boogie" by Walter Horton – and "Mistreatin Boogie", "My Love Has Gone", and "Reap What You Sow" by Mose Vinson. CD

BBE have done it again! They let Joey Negro go crazy, and put together a monster set of his favorite disco tracks of all time – so monster that they had to make the compilation bigger than usual (although they're still giving it to you at a nice nice price!) As you know, Joey's no sleeper – so the quality of this set's super high, and is the result of years of digging for rare disco singles all over the world. Titles include "Bourgie Bourgie" by John Davis Orchestra, "Come Back Lover" by Fresh Band, "I Don't Want You Back" by Ramona Brooks, "Let Me Down Easy" by Rare Pleasure, "In the Forest" by Baby O, "Together Forever" by Exodus, "I'll Be Your Pleasure" by Esther Williams, and "Que Tal America" by Two Man Sound. The set also includes a few tracks that are also on other BBE comps – like ones by John Gibbs, Huson People, and Family of Eve – but given the extra big size of this one, we're assuming you won't mind the repeats, and they sound extra-nice next to the other high-quality cuts! CD

If this is the kind of music they get in the Navy, then point us to the recruiting office! The CD's a wonderful live set – recorded by Wes for the US Navy in 1964, at a time when he was just at the end of his small group stylings – and ready to move onto bigger fame with more heavily-arranged sessions. Here, though, Wes is still very much in the small combo mode of his Indiana years – working with a group that features Billy Taylor on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Grady Tate on drums. And as an added surprise, Joe Williams comes into the mix and sings vocals on the last half of the set! The recording quality is surprisingly nice, and the Taylor set features 16 tracks in all – including "A Bientot", "Capricious", "Freedom", "Paraphrase", "Body & Soul", "Have A Good Time", "More Than Likely", "All My Life", and "There Will Never Be Another You". CD then features a bonus 4 tracks recorded live in Hilversum in 1965 – all long extended numbers that have Montgomery working with Clark Terry on tunes that include "Wes Got Rhythm", "In A Mellow Tone", "Just Friends", and "Straight No Chaser". CD

A great overview of the guitar talents of Mickey Baker – an artist who's maybe best remembered during this time for an album on Atlantic, or his duets with the young Sylvia Robinson (as Mickey & Sylvia) – but a player who also worked on countless sessions during the years of R&B and early soul! We always knew Mickey played on some key tracks – his guitar work is as recognizable as a King Curtis saxophone solo – but this 29 track set features material we didn't even know about – most of it by some of the biggest R&B stars of the 50s! Titles include "Women Are The Root Of All Evil" by Paul Williams, "Hit Git & Split" by Young Jessie, "No Good Lover" by Mickey & Sylvia, "Juke Joint" by Sam Price, "I'm Gonna Rock Your Wig" by Sonny Terry, "Bad Hangover" by Square Walton, "I'm Doin All This Time" by Stick McGhee, "Please Louise" by Wynonie Harris, "Straighten Up Baby" by Milt Trenier, "Oh Darlin" by Johnny Frank, "All Around The World" by Titus Turner, and more by Nappy Brown, Larry Dale, Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, and others! CD

50 tracks over two CDs. Featuring Jabbo Smith and Cootie Williams on trumpet, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton on trombone, Johnny Hodges on clarinet and alto sax, Barney Bigard on clarinet and tenor sax, Fred Guy on banjo, Lonnie Johnson on guitar, and Sonny Greer on drums. CD

A pair of crucial albums from Archie Shepp – back to back in a single set! Fire Music is easily one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums, and certainly one of the pivotal points of 60s avant garde jazz! The album features Shepp leading a crack "new thing" line up that includes Ted Curson on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto, Joe Chambers on drums, Reggie Johnson on bass, and the lesser-known Joseph Orange on trombone – all playing in a beautifully poised manner, never too far out and free, but with all the dynamic energy of the best jazz changes of the 60s! There's a vibe here that's similar to some of the Blue Note "new thing" work by players like Grachan Moncur, Jackie McLean, and Tony Williams from the time – but there's a vision that's also wider and deeper, too, given the size of the group and the way they interact. Titles include "Hambone", "Los Olvidados", "Malcolm Malcolm–Semper Malcolm", and an insane cover of "Girl From Ipanema". You can't go wrong with this one – trust us! Mama Too Tight features growing brilliance from the young Archie Shepp – a record that's not just about Archie's own amazing work on the tenor, but also his keen modern vision as a leader! The combo here is an ensemble that features some of the hippest modernists of the 60s – Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur on trombone, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Howard Johnson on tuba, Charlie Haden on bass, and Tommy Turrentine on trumpet – making a rare non-bop appearance here, and further enforcing our already-high estimation of his talents! The style's somewhat in the "new thing" mode of the period, but it's also a bit more tightly arranged too – almost hitting Mingus-like modes for the bigger ensemble – balancing the force of the group together with very free, bold solo impulses from the players. Side one features the extended "Portrait Of Robert Thompson (As A Young Man)" – and side two features "Mama Too Tight", "Theme For Ernie", and "Basheer". CD

Stunning soul from the Detroit underground of the late 60s – a treasure trove of gems that literally grew up in the shadows of Motown – given that the work here was spearheaded by the Pied Piper Productions team of Jack Ashford, Mike Terry, Joe Hunter and Herbie Williams of the legendary Funk Brothers! There's a tighter, more energetic vibe to the material than on some of the more grandly soaring sounds of Detroit's bigger hits of the time – and we really love the unfussy, driving soul essence at play here – a gritty, groovy, and really hard-burning sound that makes just about every number here a gem – and a real change, if you only know the bigger hits from Motown! The track selection is wonderful – and even includes a number of never-issued tracks from the time, plus singles issued on Kapp, RCA, and some smaller labels too. Titles include "Voodoo Mademoiselle" and "You Better Know Why" by September Jones, "He'll Be Leaving You" by Nancy Wilcox, "Could It Be You" by Sharon Scott, "I Need Your Love" by The Dynamics, "Lost Without You" by Lorraine Chandler, "See My Heart At Ease" by Mikki Farrow, "It's Right Now" by The Metros, "Hold To My Baby" by The Pied Piper Players, "Give Me Lots Of Lovin'" By Freddy Butler, and lots more! 24 tracks in all. CD

Wallace Jones, Cootie Williams, Ray Nance, trumpet: Rex Stewart, cornet, Joe Nanton, Lawrence Brown, trombone, Juan Tizol, valve trombone, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Ben Webster, Harry Carney. Chauncey Haughton, reeds. Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, piano, Fred Guy, guitar, Jimmie Blanton, Alvin "Junior" Raglin, bass, Sonny Greer, drums: lvie Anderson, Herb Jeffries, Ray Nance, vocals. Arrangements by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. CD