We don't know much about Bill Brown and his group – but they're a fantastic lost act from the 70s, and one who have a fantastic way of mixing warm soul harmonies with some very sharp grooves! The rhythms are pretty upbeat on most tracks, but the vibe is before the disco and club years – that special moment when funk musicians were able to move quick, and never lose their groove – and singers like Bill were able to slide into the mix and really soar with their vocals! We've never heard any of these cuts before, and the whole thing is like discovering a lost chapter of 70s soul that we'd completely missed – one that we'd rank right up there with some of the hippest east coast group soul of the time. Titles include "Bip Bam (parts 1 & 2)", "Stay Off The Moon", "Sock It To The Landlord", "Rainbow", "Time After Time", "Fool-Ology", "Love Under The Apple Tree", and "Dreamworld Fantasies". Also includes an instrumental of "Time After Time" – and a Billy Wilson version of "Fool-Ology". LP, Vinyl record album

The folks at Numero bill this set as "the only boogie record you'll ever need to own" – and while we might take issue with that, as there's so many great boogie records out there in the world, we can say that the set features some great 80s-styled groovers from their never-ending vaults of music! The set ranges across different labels and scenes, to bring out the best of some overlooked gems that barely got any play back in the day, but have a style that's gained new appreciation for contemporary ears – a lean, post-disco groove that's got plenty of resonance with soulful styles of the 21st Century scene! Titles include "If You Love Me" by Stylle Band, "Let's Boogie Tonight" by Unit Three, "Quick" by Steven, "Lady Luck" by Duke D, "Contagious" by Ronnie Robbins, "You & Me" by Pete & Cheez, "Slippin In The Night" by Contrast, "Burning Up" by Donnell Pitman, and "Don't Touch It" by Maxx Traxx. LP, Vinyl record album

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera weren't the biggest group on the British scene of the late 60s, but they were certainly one of the coolest – as you'll hear on this massive collection that brings together all their key work of the time! First up is the self-titled debut album – stunner of a set from a group who should have been huge – especially given the sharpness and wit of this debut album! Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera bring together all the best strands of up and coming Brit rock of the time – a bit of psych undercut with some bluesy elements, marked by a moddish smirk that really keeps the whole thing punched-up throughout – no overindulgence, no easy mark for a hit – just a very individual sensibility that few of the group's underground contemporaries could match! These guys come across with all the personality of The Who in Happy Jack/Magic Bus years – and have a similar use and distance of trippy elements of the time – almost tongue in cheek, but just because they find a way to shift between them and straighter rock so easily. Songs are all great, and really well-written – and apart from a version of Oscar Brown Jr's "I Was Cool", the set features original material that includes "Mother Writes", "Mary Jane", "Flames", "Lookin For A Happy Life", and "Walter Sly Meets Bill Bailey". Next is the group's second album Ride A Hustler's Dream – a set that maybe has the group bringing in more blues influences to the music at times, but mostly as a way to let both the guitar work and vocals get even fuller and strongly expressed – which means that when the psychedelic elements come into the mix, there's an even more powerful vibe than on their debut album too! Titles include "Black Jack Davy", "Ride A Hustler's Dream", "Honey By", "Anna Dance Square", "Depression", "Warm Day In July", and the very cool "Raga" – and a great remake of "Eleanor Rigby". 3CD set features the debut album in a rare promo-only mono mix, plus 34 bonus tracks that include "There's A Hole In My Pocket", "She Keeps Giving Me These Feelings", "The Painter", "And I Remember", "Talk Of The Devil", "Dreamy", "Volcano", "A Quick B", and lots more – including singles and BBC tracks too! CD

A great big band indeed – a session from 1960 that has Bill Holman still sitting nicely at the top of the west coast large group format from the 50s! As with previous dates of this nature, Holman's got a way around the charts that few can match – a way of swinging the whole ensemble strongly, yet never in ways that are cloying, commercial, or cliched. All the right players find a space for expression – and the lineup includes Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins on tenor sax, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all players who really sparkle nicely when they step out from the larger group. Titles include "Stereoso", "Shadrack", "Quickstep", "Aura", "The Moon Is Blue", "June Is Busting Out All Over", and "Spinuet". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great entry in this always-great series – and one that looks at a slice of raunchy rock that's a bit different than usual! The Warner Brothers label started up right at the end of the 50s – after most of the other rock powerhouse imprints – and they also had more of an ear for pop and mainstream sounds, given their Hollywood home. Yet they also quickly found a way to turn out some really remarkable 45s – music that was maybe even just recorded with leftover studio time, or between the bigger projects on the label – funded by bigger money from films, and often done in a top-shelf studio setting! This legacy of Warner isn't nearly as well-known as their 60s pop and vocal material, but it's equally groovy – if not more so – and gets fantastic treatment here from Bear Family, who not only present a whopping 30 tracks, but also accompany the whole thing with a wonderful booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images. The set even includes some surprising rockers by unlikely sources – and titles include "Shimmy Shake" by Billy Land, "The Swing" by Johnny Carroll, "Teen Beat" by Don Ralke, "Road Hog" by Johnny Zorro, "Hanna Lee" by Shelly Dane, "The Fool" by Bob Luman, "Lucille" by The Everly Brothers, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Troyce Key with Eddie Cochran, "Drum Twist" by Buddy Harman, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" by Eddie & Betty, and "Forbidden City" by John Buck & His Blazers. CD

A side each of these two important talents in blues – presented here in a format that makes the record a real double-header! Side one features Big Bill Broonzy in the lead – working with sweet electric lines on guitar alongside acoustic and his own really rich vocals – plus this very cool rhythm accompaniment from Washboard Sam, whose instrument has a way of coming across like some quickly snapped snare drum! Sam takes the lead on side two – singing and playing his instrument – and is joined on a few tracks by Broonzy's guitar and some piano from Memphis Slim. Big Bill titles include "Lonesome", "Little City Woman", "Romance Without Finance", and "By Myself" – and Washboard Sam numbers include "Never Never", "Minding My Own Business", "I'm A Lonely Man", and "Horseshoe Over My Door". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans is working with a really wonderful trio here – one that features Gary Peacock on bass and Paul Motian on drums – both budding young modernists who help Evans reach some new sounds on the set! The record starts out with a groove that's perhaps more inside than you'd expect – but it then quickly moves into the sort of sensitively-played numbers that really made Evans a key force in jazz during the early 60s – supported by equally personal work from Peacock and Motian, who both clearly feel free to move beyond common piano trio cliches. Tracks include "Dancing In The Dark", "Always", "Little Lulu", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Everything Happens To Me", and "For Heaven's Sake". LP, Vinyl record album

A great big band indeed – a session from 1960 that has Bill Holman still sitting nicely at the top of the west coast large group format from the 50s! As with previous dates of this nature, Holman's got a way around the charts that few can match – a way of swinging the whole ensemble strongly, yet never in ways that are cloying, commercial, or cliched. All the right players find a space for expression – and the lineup includes Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins on tenor sax, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all players who really sparkle nicely when they step out from the larger group. Titles include "Stereoso", "Shadrack", "Quickstep", "Aura", "The Moon Is Blue", "June Is Busting Out All Over", and "Spinuet". LP, Vinyl record album

A full package of work from the mighty Bill Holman – 2CDs worth of music – including three full albums plus bonus tracks! First up is material from the 1957 Coral album The Fabulous Bill Holman – a record that's got a maturity of expression that pushes Holman way past his Kenton years! The tracks are all larger ensemble ones, arranged and partially written by Bill, and played by the group in a broad chromatic style that's very nice – certainly Kenton-esque, but with a style that's somehow a bit more personal. Players include Charlie Mariano, Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, Conte Cantoli, Stu Williamson, and Holman himself – and titles include "Evil Eyes", "You & I", "Bright Eyes", and the extended "The Big Street" – a great 17 minute tune! Next Is In A Jazz Orbit – a set that has Holman in a great mode that bridges the large group styles of the swing years and the changes in big band sounds that would take place in the 60s – and he's almost prefacing the style of the Clarke Boland Big Band by writing charts here that pack a real punch on the ensemble passages, yet which also rely very strongly on breakaway horn solos to tear up the tunes! The strength of the players is a key factor in the success of the album – as soloists include Frank Rosolino, Jack Sheldon, Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, and Holman himself – on titles that include "Kissin Bug", "You Go To My Head", "Far Down Below", "Aura", "Theme & Variation #2", and "No Heat". Bill Holman's Great Big Band is a session from 1960 that has Bill Holman still sitting nicely at the top of the west coast large group format from the 50s! As with previous dates of this nature, Holman's got a way around the charts that few can match – a way of swinging the whole ensemble strongly, yet never in ways that are cloying, commercial, or cliched. All the right players find a space for expression – and the lineup includes Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins on tenor sax, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all players who really sparkle nicely when they step out from the larger group. Titles include "Stereoso", "Shadrack", "Quickstep", "Aura", "The Moon Is Blue", "June Is Busting Out All Over", and "Spinuet". CD features 10 more bonus tracks – tunes from Holman's Kenton Presents sessions for Capitol in 1954 – octet material done with Don Fagerquist, Bob Eneveldsen, and Stu Williamson providing full brass support on trumpet and trombones – while Holman, Herb Geller, and Bob Gordon cut some broader lines themselves on saxes. Tunes are all great originals by Holman – extremely inventive in both melody and structure – with titles that include "Sparkle", "Tanglefoot", "Song Without Words", "Cousin Jack", "Back To Minors", and "Jughaid". CD

One of the smaller labels to get featured on this excellent series of rockabilly gems – and a collection that also shows that the music could quickly take off in points that were far from Tennessee and other southern scenes! All the cuts here are from the catalog of the tiny Crest Records label in LA – and they've all got the kind of hard-edged, raw-ripping quality that we love on other volumes in this legendary series – one that's been a constantly rewarding one over the years, and a great antidote to all the dodgy, poorly-done CDs that usually focus on music like this! There's a few names here who broke big later on other labels, and the set also maybe has a bit of Bakersfield influence – but of the pre-country, hillbilly boogie variety – on a set of 32 titles that include "IOU" by Jack Lewis, "Let's Coast Awhile" by Bo Davis, "Stack A Records" by Tom Tall & His Tom Kats, "Do I" by Bill Great Dane, "What I Like Most Of All" by Don Thomson & The Desert Stars, "Can You Bop" by Tom Wilson, "Spotlight" by Frank & Ernie, "The Grave" by Tony Casanova, "Ummm Kiss Me Goodnight" by Buddy Love, "Night Shift" by Norm Skyler, and 'You Bet Your Little Life" by Marty Cooper. CD

A mighty deep look at one of the hippest labels on the rockabilly scene – and one that was quite a surprise, too – given that Dot Records not only served up a fair bit of instrumental pop, but also recorded some of the "fake" rockers of the time as well! Yet all the work here is the real deal – tracks from the farther reaches of the Dot catalog, and related Hamilton imprint – work that was only ever issued as 7" singles, and quickly lost in the shuffle – only to be rediscovered in later generations by the kind of cats who were always digging for the coolest, rawest tracks from back in the day! As with other volumes in this groundbreaking series, the package presents a heck of a lot of music with very detailed notes – 37 titles that include "When The Sin Stops" by The Nighthawks, "Bad Boy" by robin Luke, "Honky Tonk Song" by Leroy Van Dyke, "Cool It Baby" by Dick Lory, "Mail Train" by Billy Joe Tucker, "My Babe" by Ronnie Smith, "Nancy Lynne" by Dick D'Agostin & the Swingers, "Love Charms" by Sanford Clark, "Jeopardy" by Ned Costner, "Whatcha Gonna Do" by Earl Henry, "I'm Hypnotized" by Don Johnson, and "Steelworker Blues" by Keith Courvale. CD

Bill Evans is working with a really wonderful trio here – one that features Gary Peacock on bass and Paul Motian on drums – both budding young modernists who help Evans reach some new sounds on the set! The record starts out with a groove that's perhaps more inside than you'd expect – but it then quickly moves into the sort of sensitively-played numbers that really made Evans a key force in jazz during the early 60s – supported by equally personal work from Peacock and Motian, who both clearly feel free to move beyond common piano trio cliches. Tracks include "Dancing In The Dark", "Always", "Little Lulu", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Everything Happens To Me", and "For Heaven's Sake". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from trumpeter Ted Curson – a set that's issued under his own name, but which continues a string of key early 60s performances with tenorist Bill Barron – who's work together here with Ted is fantastic! The group has no piano – just Herb Bushler on bass and Dick Berk on drums – both players with a fluid, open sense of rhythm – one that allows for plenty of horn interplay, at a level that almost has Curson borrowing some of the lessons he learned from Mingus, then taking them into small group formation and really opening things up! Curson also blows a bit of pocket trumpet, and Barron handles some clarinet – on a set of all original material that includes a great version of Curson's "Quicksand", plus the tracks "Kassim", "East 6th Street", "Tears For Dolphy", "7/4 Funny Time", and "Desolation". LP, Vinyl record album

A Kenny Dorham-billed version of the only full album ever issued by tenor player Rocky Boyd – but a set so great, it's definitely made a name for him over the years! Boyd's got a wonderful tone on the set – sharp and soulful, with an approach to the tenor that almost reminds us of early 60s Jackie McLean – particularly in the way that Jackie could hit dark corners with raspy, personal tone. The rest of the group's no slouch either – and features Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Walter Bishop Jr on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – a lineup so great, they give the album a real Blue Note sort of polish – and the album's definitely one that would have been a better-known date, if it hadn't died quickly on the short-lived Jazztime label. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "West 42nd Street", "Avars", "Ease It", "Samba De Orfeu", and "Why Not". CD features bonus tracks too – alternates of 4 tracks on the album! CD

Ronnie Self was a little guy with blonde hair, but he was a giant during the early years of rock and roll – when he cut some searing sides for Columbia Records that have gone on to become rockabilly classics over the years! Ronnie maybe never saw the big time, but he was a hell of a force on record – graced with this voice that was not only raw, but able to move pretty darn fast – which he often does here alongside some quick-twanging guitar and mighty romping rhythms! LP, Vinyl record album

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

Seminal work from trumpeter Ted Curson – a set that's issued under his own name, but which continues a string of key early 60s performances with tenorist Bill Barron – who's work together here with Ted is fantastic! The group has no piano – just Herb Bushler on bass and Dick Berk on drums – both players with a fluid, open sense of rhythm – one that allows for plenty of horn interplay, at a level that almost has Curson borrowing some of the lessons he learned from Mingus, then taking them into small group formation and really opening things up! Curson also blows a bit of pocket trumpet, and Barron handles some clarinet – on a set of all original material that includes a great version of Curson's "Quicksand", plus the tracks "Kassim", "East 6th Street", "Tears For Dolphy", "7/4 Funny Time", "Reava's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

A great entry in this late 70s "Best Of The West" series produced for Japan by Lew Tabackin – a series in which Lew uncovered some of the best (then) current work on the west coast, in an unusual and creative mix of classic and under-discovered players! This session is led by alto saxophonist Dick Spencer, but also features Conte Candoli on trumpet, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a really well-balanced group that makes for a great depth of feeling that's hardly the west coast revival mode you might expect from the date! Spencer's tone on alto is really great – quick-footed, but also full of feeling – and Candoli's got some very nice later lines on trumpet, warmed up a bit by Cedar Walton's piano. There's a somewhat informal feel to the session – a bit boppish at times – and titles include "Invitation", "Minor March", "Lament For Sonny", "Barbados", and "Shining Hour". CD

Some of the most unique soul music you'll ever hope to hear – recorded by a pair of artists who mostly worked in Buffalo, New York during the 70s – with a very odd style that's completely their own! We'd quickly place the duo of Jesse Key and Sylvester Cleary in territory that would include Shuggie Otis or Terry Callier – artists who are almost a genre to themselves, and who manage to make their message mean even more by standing apart from the pack! In this case, Key & Cleary work with very early use of a drum machine – often used at levels that are slower and gentler than the beat-heavy 80s – and given these lightly folksy guitar touches that underscore some of the more righteous currents in their music, and which make the more personal songs sound even better. Maybe imagine if Bill Withers teamed up with the very young Timmy Thomas – but recorded at home on an 8 track studio – and you'll get part of the picture of what's going on here. Titles include "There Are Troubles", "A Man", "Dog's Delight", "Turn Me On", "Storm Of 77", "Help Build Buffalo", "Salamanca", "What It Takes To Live", and "The Secret". LP, Vinyl record album

A great live cooker from Phil Woods – long tracks with those excellent solos he could carve out in the 80s – served up in a quartet with Hal Galper on piano, Steve Gilmore on bass, and Bill Goodwin on drums! CD

A massive pairing of the tenor of Booker Ervin and Hammond of Don Patterson – a record that's got a very famous cover image, and which marks for one of the greatest meetings of soul and modernism at mid-60s Prestige Records! There's no bass at all on the set – just lots of quick, tight rhythm lines from Patterson on the pedals of the Hammond – mixed with drums from Billy James, and served up with plenty of space for Ervin to open up on tenor – blowing with more soul than on some of his modernist sides of the time! The title cut – "Hip Cake Walk" – is a 16 minute groover, and other tracks include "Rosetta", "Sister Ruth", and "Donald Duck". Very cool cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

The bottom is certainly "up" on this one – as the Three Sounds groove things from the ground up, taking soul jazz piano to the next level with an approach that quickly made them one of the most popular Blue Note acts of the early 60s! Gene Harris leads the group on piano – and also plays celeste on one track (!) – and the other Sounds at this point are Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums – a really great rhythm section that have a way of being soulfully quiet, with a very subtle groove – one that's much more understated than you might find in the Ramsey Lewis trio, but equally hip. Tracks include "Jinne Lou", "Besame Mucho", "Love Walked In", "Angel Eyes", "Falling In Love With Love", and "Time After Time". CD

A lesser-known gem from Mal Waldron – recorded back on the American scene at the start of the 80s, with some really great help on tenor from Joe Henderson! Both players were working a bit out of the mainstream at the time, but had lost none of their powers – and instead, there's an odd edge here that really makes the album compelling – some of those great broken-down notes you'll hear in Henderson sessions of the 80s, mixed with both fragmented lines from Waldron, and some surprisingly warm moments as well. The group's completed by David Friesen on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – and although Henderson's not on every track, his presence on some of them makes for a nice balance with the trio numbers. Titles include the amazing "Herbal Syndrome", plus "Blues in 4 By 3", "Golden Golson", "One Entrance Many Exits", and "Chazz Jazz". CD