A nicely understated session that was recorded in honor of Billy Strayhorn – who'd passed away a few months before the recording. The set features all classic Strayhorn compositions – played in new versions by Duke and a group that includes Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Aaron Bell, and Jimmy Hamilton. The recording quality is great, and the sound of the album really makes old classics sparkle nicely once again! Titles include "UMMG", "Blood Count", "Boo Dah", "Rain Check", "Day Dream", "All Day Long", and "Lotus Blossom", done in a haunting solo piano version by Duke! LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Rockin' In Rhythm", "Jam With Sam", and "Ad Lib On Nippon" by Duke Ellington and his orchestra featuring Cat Anderson, Lawrence Brown, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and others; plus "The Theme", "I Can't Get Started", and "Blues" with Thad Jones, Howard McGhee, and Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Billy Taylor on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Al Heath on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever in Verve's classic set of recordings from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival – a set that captures the Dizzy Gillespie group of the decade in top live formation! The ensemble here is plenty hip – with a young Lee Morgan joining Dizzy on trumpet, and a host of other great players who include Melba Liston and Al Grey on trombones, Benny Golson and Billy Mitchell on saxes, and rhythm from the trio of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul West on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums! Although big, the band often had the sharper groove of a small combo – and even when hitting some older moments from Gillespie's earlier years, they still kept a modern edge in their approach – thanks to arrangements by AK Salim, Tadd Dameron, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones, and Dizzy himself. Titles include "School Days", "I Remember Clifford", "Manteca", "Dizzy's Blues", "Cool Breeze", and "Doodlin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-ever Hank Mobley albums on Blue Note – and a killer batch of soulful hardbop that was cut right around the same time as the classic No Room For Squares LP. In fact, the album contains work from 2 different sessions that filtered over to the Squares album – one that featured Mobley with Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins; and another that included Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, Butch Warren, and Philly Joe Jones. The work is incredibly sharp – with that wonderful mix of soul jazz, hardbop, and nascent spiritualism that Mobley brought to his best work of the 60s. Titles include "My Sin", "Straight Ahead", "The Turnaround", and "Pat N Chat". CD

The tenor of Stephen Riley does some really wonderful things here – somehow coming across with the lightness of an alto and the depth of a baritone at once – as Riley dances alongside some mighty nice organ work from Brian Charette! The mix of organ and tenor is so different here than any sort of classic-styled set – a really nice evolution from the old school mode, and one that takes it far from its soul jazz roots, yet without ever losing its swing – maybe in part because the excellent Billy Drummond handles the drumkit with a loose, open style that really matches the energy of Riley and Charette. Titles include "Gentle Rain", "Fall", "Paul's Pal", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Recorda Me", "Rain Check", and "Steeplechase". CD

A haunting little vocal jazz set from 1950s Germany – recorded with some wonderfully moody arrangements that are right up there with the coolest work of the American hi-fi generation! Sauer's sings in English throughout, with this echoey style that's really great – and he's surprisingly soulful at points, almost informed by Billy Eckstine at times, and hardly the sort of material you'd expect to come from a German singer of the postwar years! Backings are by Paul Kuhn and Freidel Berlipp, who both do a good job of mixing in some strings with the jazz, and peppering things with some more unusual instrumental inflections. Titles include "At Sundown", "Stairway To The Stars", "A Little On The Lonely Side", "Stardust", "Serenata", "How Deep Is The Ocean", and "Mean To Me". CD

Sonny blows Varitone on this groovy set of 60s pop tunes arranged and conducted by Jimmy Mundy. The group features guitar by Billy Butler, organ by Paul Griffin, and work on sax and flute by Jerome Richardson – and while the album's not Stitt's finest bop or soul jazz moment, it does have some cool little tunes that shouldn't be overlooked! These include "Tasty Cakes", a choppy little groover with a lot of time changes and a really odd sound; "California Soul", one of those tunes that sounds great no matter who does it; and "Soiree", a bassy mod number that's kind of like a party scene from some camp 60s film! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Johnny Chester, Paul Wayne, Judy Stone, Booka Hyland, Colin Cook, Johnny Devlin, Barry Stanton, Brian Davis, Billy Adams, Ray Melton, and more - 33 songs in all. CD

Music from Marvin Gaye, The Impressions, Randy Crawford, The Staple Singers, Billy Paul, The Temptations, Ann Peebles, Sam And Dave, Shirley Brown, Bobby Womack, and more. CD

Music from the Four Preps, Tony Orlando, Billy Grammer, the Dolphins, Paul Petersen, the Tempos, Vic Dana, the Duprees, Bob Beckham, the Rivieras, the Techniques & more. CD

A cool collection with some very rare work – including "Tribute To Wes" by Moses Dillard, "Put A Smile On Time" by Rhythm Machine, "Ya Se Formo" by Hector Rivera, "Billy Boy" by Billy Paul, "The One Who Needs You" by Vince Andrews, "Bird Of Beauty" by Sol, "Summertime" by Inga Brandenburg, and "Eu Se Balanco" by Jackson Do Pandeiro. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Billy Barrix, the Flamingos, Etta James, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, Memphis Slim, Bobby Charles, the Ravens, Paul Gayten, and more – 50 tracks in all. CD

Sure, the twist was a big dance fad, but it also opened the door to a whole new level of grooviness in American music – and was a way for the raw energy of the early rock years to step out into a whole array of different genres! You'll definitely hear that going on here, as the package goes way past Chubby Checker and the new dance steps – and instead, shows why we found out years ago that "twist" on a record can mean a very groovy track – upbeat, fast-moving, and full of mighty nice energy from start to finish! As with most Bear Family collections, the package is overflowing with cuts we never would have discovered otherwise – titles that include "No Twistin On Sunday" by The Zircons, "Moon Twist" by Billy Nix, "Buzz Saw Twist" by Gee Cees, "Twistin With Linda" by Isley Brothers, "Chicken Twist (part 1)" by Paul Liver & The Lions, "Tail End Twist" by Kirby Ladner, "Twist All Wrong" by Miller Olsen Combo, "Ivory Twist" by Chavis Brothers, "Twist & Shout" by The Top Notes, "Slow Twistin" by The Marvelettes, "Steelball Twist" by Dee Page & His Western Allstars, and "Twist Like This" by Eddie Clearwater. CD

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". CD

A great little meeting of Latin and jazz players – an oft-overlooked album in Puente's catalog of the time! The album features Woody leading a small group of jazz players – including Al Cohn, Paul Quinichette, Billy Byers, and Nick Travis – with extra timbales by Puente and congas by Ray Barretto – and the overall approach is light but tight, with more of a straight jazz component than you'd find on most of Tito's records from the time, but also a wonderfully driven groove that still keeps the rhythms mostly on the Latin end of things! Titles include "Cha Cha Chick", "Tito Meets Woody", "Pillar To Post", "Midnight Sun", "Blue Station", "Mambo Herd", and "Balu". CD

Four fantastic records from a time when Johnny Mathis was really evolving his sound! On Me & Mrs Jones, Johnny Mathis takes on the sophisticated soul modes of the 70s, and also adds in a few other styles too – on an album that shows just how much the singer had changed in nearly 20 years of recording – sometimes shaped by all those other artists he'd inspired along the way! The title version of the Billy Paul classic "Me & Mrs Jones" is superb – maybe worth the price of the record alone, and perfect for the mature Mathis approach – and Johnny shines equally well on the album's blend of other 70s tunes, arranged by D'Arneill Pershing with a bit of help from Larry Muhoberac. Titles include "Summer Breeze", "Sweet Surrender", "Corner Of The Sky", "Remember", "You're A Lady", "If I Could Reach You", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", "Soul & Inspiration/Just Once In My Life", and "Me & Mrs Jones". Johnny takes on a mix of sweet & tender and more melancholy tunes on Killing Me Softly, showing a surer hand at making a batch of then contemporary hits his own much more successfully than other veteran pop vocalists of his generation. Jerry Fuller produced, and the titles Includes "Aubrey", "And I Love You So", "Break Up To Make Up", "Sing", "Good Morning Heartache", "Neither One Of Us Wants To Say Goodbye", "Show And Tell" and "Ariane". On I'm Coming Home, Johnny Mathis gets a great new sound – thanks to Philly production and arrangements from the great Thom Bell! Thom had quite a hand in the songs, too – as almost all numbers were written by the team of Bell and Linda Creed – really sensitive songwriters who've got an adult, mature approach to the music – one that still respects Mathis' roots in other vocal territory, but which also gives him a bit more soulful depth, too. The setting is wonderful, and the record's a real standout in Johnny's 70s career – one that helped reignite interest in the singer at a time when so many folks had left him behind. Titles include "I'm Coming Home", "Foolish", "I'm Stone In Love With You", "A Baby's Born", "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "I Just Wanted To Be Me", and a classic version of "Stop Look & Listen To Your Heart". Feelings is a prime 70s Columbia era Mathis gem, with production by Jack Gold and this time out, arrangements by Gene Page that mix tender hearted intimacy and lightly sweeping touches as sweetly as can be. Titles include "One Day In Your Life", "Stardust", "Midnight Blue", "Feelings", "That's All She Wrote", "Solitaire" and more. CD features the bonus track "Crazy Little Love Makin Ways". CD

A killer tribute to the 60s songcraft of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart – who are probably best-known as the songwriters behind many songs by The Monkees – but they're terrific performers in their own right, on top of penning tunes for the creme of the 60s crop! This set goes a long way towards demonstrating their range. It's got all great songs by legendary groups and singers – including veterans like Fats Domino and Chubby Checker – who were seeking fresh heat at the time – plus great stuff by Boyce & Hart themselves, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Dino, Desi & Billy, The Shangri-Las, The Ikettes, The Standells, The Honeybeats and more! Includes "Valleri" by The Monkees, I Can't Get Him Out Of My Mind" by Sandra Dee, "(He's Gonna Be) Fine Fine Fine" by The Ikettes, "She" by Del Shannon, "Lazy Elsie Molly" by Chubby Checker, "Too Many Teardrops" by Bobby Hart, "Be My Guest" by Fats Domino, "Beverly Jean" by Curtis Lee and more. 26 in all. CD

A deep dive into the catalog of the legendary Soul Note label – the Italian imprint that became a huge host to American jazz musicians in the late 70s onwards – a company that helped to evolve both spiritual and loft jazz modes, and continue the legacy of free-thinking expression that was begun in the shadow of John Coltrane! The choice of cuts here is great – tracks that go past some of the obvious classics of the label, but which also resonate with those moments too – a well-chosen array of tracks that often focus on more rhythmic moments of the label, with strong spiritual and modal currents throughout. Titles include "Rain Shout" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Olduvai George" by Dannie Richmond, "Mwalimu" by Max Roach, "Ondas" by Nana Vasconcelos & Antonello Salis, "Aladdin's Castle" by Beaver Harris, "Hide & Go Seek" by Paul Motian, "Spirits Return" by Tony Scott, "Tribute To Bu (take 1)" by Andrew Cyrille, "Bouka" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Nagual Julian" by Billy Bang, "The Earth Spins" by Adam Rudolph, "Cubano Be Cubano Bop" by George Russell, and "Nu Tune" by Hamiet Bluiett. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by The Shirelles, Gary US Bonds, Billy Bland, Freddy Cannon, The Isley Brothers, Paul Anka, Lloyd Price, LaVern Baker, The Rivingtons, Tiny Tim, and Jan & Dean. CD

Smooth modern duets from one of our favorite ladies in soul music! Jean Carne's a heck of a singer – with a career that stretches back to early soul jazz recordings with (then) husband Doug Carn, to solo recordings on Philly International in the late 70s, to appearances on records by other artists – sessions from the 70s, 80s, and 90s in which Jean lent her vocals to a wealth of great recordings! This great collection focuses on work in that category – uncollected sides from a three decade period, brought together in one album that shows just how great Jean can sound when she's singing with other artists. Many of these titles are quite hard to find otherwise, and haven't even shown up on other collections of Jean's work – and tracks include "Good Thng Goin On" with Billy Paul, "Holdin On" and "Dreams Of Tomorrow" with Dexter Wansel, "Keep In Touch" and "The Look Of Love" with Grover Washington Jr, "Lean On Me" with Nathan Heathman, "If You Don't Know Me By Now" with The Temptations, "Love Is Beautiful" with Universe, "Star Flower" with Lonnie Liston Smith, "Let's Stay Together" with Bobby M, "I'm Back For More" with Al Johnson, "You Might Be Surprised" with Roy Ayers, "Mother Of The Future" with Norman Connors, and "Valentine Love" with Michael Henderson. Also features the bonus solo track "Trust Me" – never on CD before! CD

Fantastic material from the late 50s – recorded live, possibly at the same Hillcrest Club sessions that yielded the material on the Fabulous Paul Bley album issued in France. The set's pure Coleman, but with a twist. Bley's comping on piano gives the record more of a straight jazz groove – very interesting to hear on the 14 minute reading of "Ramblin" that's very different than any of the later ones. The group features Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins along with Coleman and Bley – and titles include "How Deep Is The Ocean", "Crossroads", and "When Will The Blues Leave". Great stuff, and a key slice of Ornette's early career! LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely understated session that was recorded in honor of Billy Strayhorn – who'd passed away a few months before the recording. The set features all classic Strayhorn compositions – played in new versions by Duke and a group that includes Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Aaron Bell, and Jimmy Hamilton. The recording quality is great, and the sound of the album really makes old classics sparkle nicely once again! Titles include "UMMG", "Blood Count", "Boo Dah", "Rain Check", "Day Dream", "All Day Long", and "Lotus Blossom", done in a haunting solo piano version by Duke!. Includes the bonus tracks "Raincheck (take 4)", Smada (takes 3 & 4)", "Midriff", "My Little Brown Book" & "Lotus Blossom (trio version)'. CD

The "triple play" in the title refers to the fact that Johnny's working here with 3 different groups – all of them large ones, and stuffed with Ellington-esque players that include Ray Nance, Paul Gonsalves, Milt Hinton, Tiny Grimes, Hank Jones, Cat Anderson, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, and Billy Butler. Tracks are short, but there's a few nice ones that have the raw bite of Hodges' best work for Verve – with titles that include "Fur Piece", "Take Em Off Take Em Off (parts 1 & 2)", "Sir John", "On The Way Up", and "Wild Onions". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Barbara Mason – one in which she takes the little girl soul sound of earlier albums, and turns it into a sophisticated range of emotions that foreshadows later Philly work by singers like Jean Carn and Phyllis Hyman! Despite the Philly arrangements by Ronnie Baker, Norman Harris, and Vince Montana, there's actually a bit of a southern twinge to the record – an aspect that works nicely on the ballad cuts, which have kind of an Ann Sexton or Shirley Brown feel to them – sophisticated female soul at its best, and a real change overall for Barbara. Features the uptempo extended political cut "World War Three", plus "All in Love is Fair", "Bed and Board", "Caught in The Middle", "I Miss You Gordon", and "Me and Mr. Jones", her cover of the Billy Paul hit, and a nice version too! Includes the bonus track "Child Of Tomorrow". CD

One of the best-ever Hank Mobley albums on Blue Note – and a killer batch of soulful hardbop that was cut right around the same time as the classic No Room For Squares LP. In fact, the album contains work from 2 different sessions that filtered over to the Squares album – one that featured Mobley with Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins; and another that included Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, Butch Warren, and Philly Joe Jones. The work is incredibly sharp – with that wonderful mix of soul jazz, hardbop, and nascent spiritualism that Mobley brought to his best work of the 60s. Titles include "My Sin", "Straight Ahead", "The Turnaround", and "East Of The Village". CD

with Pepper Adams, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Johnny Griffin, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Haynes, Billy Higgins, Philly Joe Jones, Sam Jones, Thad Jones, Harold Land, Gerry Mulligan, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Rouse, and others. CD

One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan – a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years – with a spirit that's similar to Lee's work on the albums Gigolo or Tom Cat, in a style that mixes in a fair bit more modal and Latin influences to the rhythms. The lineup is totally great too – a sextet that features Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins – the last of whom provides tremendous rhythms that are as fluidly inventive as Morgan's playing and the writing of Hank Mobley, who contributed most of the tunes to the set. Titles include "Hey Chico", "The Double Up", and "The Murphy Man" – and the record also includes a nice version of Duke Pearson's "Sweet Honey Bee". LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting little vocal jazz set from 1950s Germany – recorded with some wonderfully moody arrangements that are right up there with the coolest work of the American hi-fi generation! Sauer's sings in English throughout, with this echoey style that's really great – and he's surprisingly soulful at points, almost informed by Billy Eckstine at times, and hardly the sort of material you'd expect to come from a German singer of the postwar years! Backings are by Paul Kuhn and Freidel Berlipp, who both do a good job of mixing in some strings with the jazz, and peppering things with some more unusual instrumental inflections. Titles include "At Sundown", "Stairway To The Stars", "A Little On The Lonely Side", "Stardust", "Serenata", "How Deep Is The Ocean", and "Mean To Me". CD

Tracks by Mtume, Teena Marie, The Jacksons, The O'Jays, The Intruders, Billy Paul, MFSB, Stanley Clarke, and more. CD

Music from Bill Withers, Al Green, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, the Chi-Lites, Joe Tex, Billy Paul, James Brown, Joe Simon, and Curtis Mayfield. CD

Music from Billy Paul, Champaign, Heatwave, The Stylistics, Surface, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bill Withers, Lou Rawls, Peabo Bryson, Luther Vandross, and more. CD

A masterful collection of Philly soul – hand-picked by the man who was spinning most of the classics back in the day! British DJ Norman Jay was the king of rare groove even before these grooves were rare – collecting American imports for play in the underground London scene, and really getting to know the Philly scene in a slightly left-of-center way. Norman's take on the sound of Philly International is really fresh – and nicely different from that offered on some of the other collections of work from the famous label. The set's got a good blend of lesser-known cuts and classic underground numbers – with tracks that include "Ain't No Time Fa Nothin" by The Futures, "Bump De Bump" by Monk Montgomery, "We Got Some Catchin Up To Do" by Jean Carn, "This Air That I Breathe" by The O'Jays, "In Good Faith" by Norman Harris, "It's Hard No To Like You" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Let's Party Down" by MFSB, and "The Whole Town's Talking" and "East" by Billy Paul. 20 tracks on 2CDs! CD

A much better collection than you'd expect – still a bit poppy, but with a breadth and attention to detail we don't usually associate with anything that carries the Now banner on its cover. Includes 85 songs from Queen, The Clash, Kate Bush, Gary Numan, Billy Joel, OMD, Judas Priest, The Vapors, Sheena Easton, Paul McCartney, Stacy Lattisaw, Crown Heights Affair, Billy Preston, The Mash, Stray Cats, Stephanie Mills, The Police, and others – all in a nice book style case with a short blurb on each of the singles. CD

10 songs from the O Jays, Jean Carn, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the Jones Girls, Whitehead Brothers, Three Degrees, Shirley Jones, Billy Paul, and the Intruders. CD

Music from Soul Survivors, The Intruders, Archie Bell & The Drells, Jerry Butler, The O'Jays, The Intruders, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, Billy Paul, Bunny Sigler, Laura Nyro & LaBelle, Joe Simon, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, The Ebonys, and more. CD

Includes 15 songs from the O Jays, Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes, Billy Paul, MFSB, Three Degrees, the Intruders, and People's Choice. CD

An incredibly cool collection – one that offers up all sorts of weird and wonderful soul music covers of mainstream mellow 70s hits – new versions of the famous tunes that pull them strongly over to the world of R&B, often with results that are better than the original versions! The set is both a great demonstration of how much soul there was lurking in the original AOR productions of the mid 70s, and how strongly those currents could be unlocked even more in the right hands – as you'll hear in these sublime takes on tunes by Hall & Oates, Toto, Seals & Crofts, The Doobie Brothers, and other 70s pop giants. Titles include "Dirty Work" by Pointer Sisters, "Minute By Minute" by Peabo Bryson, "Georgie Porgy" by Side Effect, "He's Gone" by Dee Dee Bridgewater, "Summer Breeze" by Main Ingredient, "Lazy Nina" by Greg Phillinganes, "In The Way" by Brothers Johnson, "This Is It" by Millie Jackson, "Takin It To The Streets" by Quincy Jones, "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me" by Tavares, "God Only Knows" by Betty Lavette, "Let Em In" by Billy Paul, and "A Love Of Your Own" by The Ebonys. CD

There's nothing "soft" about the nuggets in this great little collection – as all the tracks here are the cream of the crop of the late 60s pop scene in the US – not super-huge hits, but instead some overlooked gems that definitely warrant the "nuggets" in the title! Most of the work here is from the Warner/Atlantic catalog – but there's also some nice bits from other labels too – and the collection focuses on the warm, breezy, completely sublime sounds that have come to be known as Sunshine Pop over the years – music that's well-produced, but very personal too – and which often has a quality that's a bit deeper than the usual oldies radio material from the time. As usual with most Japanese collections we love so much, the track selection is ultra-hip, and also includes some rare 45-only titles – with two dozen tracks in all, a good number of which we might not have heard otherwise. Titles on this third volume include "Morning Girl" by Neon Philharmonic, "Finders Keepers" by Salt Water Taffy, "If You Don't Want My Love" by Robert John, "All This" by Anita Kerr Singers, "Take My Hand" by Lee Mallory, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by Mojo Men, "There Is Nothing More To Say" by The Millennium, "Small Talk" by Harpers Bizarre, "It's Sunday" by Sunshine Company, "Someday Man" by Paul Williams, "Hurting Each Other" by Ruby & The Romantics, "I Keep It Hid" by The Vogues, "Lady Love" by Dino Desi & Billy, "Mad" by Harpers Bizarre, "Ain't Gonna Lie" by Keith, "Birthday Morning" by The Association, and "When The Summer Is Through" by The Happenings. CD

Conducted by William Russo, Paul Mertens and Tyrone Tatum on alto saxophone, Billy Rogers on baritone saxophone, Eddie Johnson and Pat Mallinger on tenor saxophone, Chuck Parrish, Mark Olen, Orbert Davis, Scott Hall, and Terry Connell on trumpet, Audrey Morrison, Edwin Williams, Loren Binford, and Tracy Kirk on trombone, Fritz Hocking on bass trombone, Larry Combs on clarinet, Charley Harrison on guitar, Brandon McCune on piano, James Cammack on bass, Bobby Everson on timpani, and Dana Hall and Frank Donaldson on drums, with Bobbi Wilsyn, Carol Loverde, and Cynthia Felker on vocals. CD

Storybook Children is one of the few albums to ever feature the vocals of Judy Clay – a wonderful deep soul singer who also cut a handful of excellent singles for Stax in the late 60s! Like some of that work – specifically her Stax duets with William Bell – this set really showcases Judy's strength as a partner in song – a really great match for Billy Vera, who sounds way better here than you might expect! Billy and Judy trade lines in this really fantastic way – often blue-tinged and melancholy, a style that is quite different from most of the peppier male/female work of the 60s – although there's also two tracks on which Vera sings solo. Backing is by a small combo with Vera on electric guitar, Chip Taylor on acoustic guitar, and Paul Griffin on piano – and titles include "Storybook Children", "Ever Since", "When Do We Go", "Just Across The Line", "Soul Man", "Good Morning Blues", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "So Good (To Be Together)". CD also includes a number of singles and non-LP tracks from Clay including "Sister Pitiful", "Get Together", "I Got To Love Somebody's Baby", and "Greatest Love". CD

A birthday tribute to the Duke that features Clark Terry on trumpet, Urbie Green and JJ Johnson on trombone, Paul Desmond on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone, Hank Jones on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, and Milt Hinton on bass, and Louie Bellson on drums – plus guest spots by Dave Brubeck, Earl Hines, and Billy Taylor. CD

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". LP, Vinyl record album

Duke Ellington on piano with Cat Anderson, Roy Burrowes & Cootie Williams on trumpet, Ray Nance on trumpet & violin, Lawerence Brown, Chuck Connes & Buster Cooper on trombones, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet & tenor sax, Russell Procope on clarinet & alto sax, Jimmy Hodges on alto sax, Paul Gonsalves on tenor sax, Harry Carney on baritone sax, clarinet & bass clarinet, Ernie Shepard on bass, Sam Woodyard on drums & Billy Strayhorn doing arrangements. CD

One of the best albums ever in Verve's classic set of recordings from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival – a set that captures the Dizzy Gillespie group of the decade in top live formation! The ensemble here is plenty hip – with a young Lee Morgan joining Dizzy on trumpet, and a host of other great players who include Melba Liston and Al Grey on trombones, Benny Golson and Billy Mitchell on saxes, and rhythm from the trio of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul West on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums! Although big, the band often had the sharper groove of a small combo – and even when hitting some older moments from Gillespie's earlier years, they still kept a modern edge in their approach – thanks to arrangements by AK Salim, Tadd Dameron, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones, and Dizzy himself. Titles include "School Days", "I Remember Clifford", "Manteca", "Dizzy's Blues", "Cool Breeze", and "Doodlin". LP, Vinyl record album

A great revival moment for some older jazz giants – all players who really catch fire here in the MPS scene of the 70s! The record features the vibes of Lionel Hampton in the lead (and, if the cover is to be believed, also a bit of drums) – and also includes excellent work from Milt Buckner on Hammond (one of his last sessions ever) – plus especially strong work from Cat Anderson on trumpet and Eddie Chamblee on tenor – both players who really get to step out here a bit at times, and remind us what they can do when they really get a chance to wail! Other players in the small group include Billy Mackel on guitar and Paul Moen on alto – and titles include "Midnight Sun", "Avalon", "Funky Mama", and "I'm Confessin" – plus the obligatory jam on "Flying Home". CD

A great little meeting of Latin and jazz players – an oft-overlooked album in Puente's catalog of the time! The album features Woody leading a small group of jazz players – including Al Cohn, Paul Quinichette, Billy Byers, and Nick Travis – with extra timbales by Puente and congas by Ray Barretto – and the overall approach is light but tight, with more of a straight jazz component than you'd find on most of Tito's records from the time, but also a wonderfully driven groove that still keeps the rhythms mostly on the Latin end of things! Titles include "Cha Cha Chick", "Tito Meets Woody", "Pillar To Post", "Midnight Sun", "Blue Station", "Mambo Herd", and "Balu". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Barbara Mason – one in which she takes the little girl soul sound of earlier albums, and turns it into a sophisticated range of emotions that foreshadows later Philly work by singers like Jean Carn and Phyllis Hyman! Despite the Philly arrangements by Ronnie Baker, Norman Harris, and Vince Montana, there's actually a bit of a southern twinge to the record – an aspect that works nicely on the ballad cuts, which have kind of an Ann Sexton or Shirley Brown feel to them – sophisticated female soul at its best, and a real change overall for Barbara. Features the uptempo extended political cut "World War Three", plus "All in Love is Fair", "Bed and Board", "Caught in The Middle", "I Miss You Gordon", and "Me & Mr. Jones", her cover of the Billy Paul hit, and a nice version too! LP, Vinyl record album

No filters here, as Hank Mobley's sound is clean, lean, and right on the money – hitting that newly-sophisticated groove of the Caddy For Daddy years in this sweet unissued set! The date was recorded in the 60s, but unissued by Blue Note for many years – another one of those head-scratching mysteries from the label, yet also a real treat to 80s jazz fans who finally got their hands on the sides – a whole new discovery of Hank Mobley's genius, further appreciated at a time when we weren't hearing more from him. The players are top-shelf all the way through – and include Freddie Hubbard or Donald Byrd on trumpet, Herbie Hancock or Barry Harris on piano, Paul Chambers or Butch Warren on bass, and Philly Joe Jones or Billy Higgins on drums. CD version really expands from the original LP – with 9 titles that include "Chain Reaction", "Third Time Around", "Hank's Waltz", "Yes Indeed", "Straight No Filter", "Syrup & Biscuits", and "The Feelin's Good". CD

One of our favorite albums from Lee Morgan – a soaringly soulful session that was recorded in the mid 60s, and finally issued by Blue Note at the end of the decade! The vibe here really follows from the lyrically inventive, post-Sidewinder mid 60s Morgan years – with a spirit that's similar to Lee's work on the albums Gigolo or Tom Cat, in a style that mixes in a fair bit more modal and Latin influences to the rhythms. The lineup is totally great too – a sextet that features Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins – the last of whom provides tremendous rhythms that are as fluidly inventive as Morgan's playing and the writing of Hank Mobley, who contributed most of the tunes to the set. Titles include "Hey Chico", "The Double Up", and "The Murphy Man" – and the record also includes a nice version of Duke Pearson's "Sweet Honey Bee". CD

An overlooked classic from organist Don Patterson – recorded around a time when most of his bigger fame would come on Prestige Records, and a set that's got a slightly different groove! The trio features Paul Weeden on guitar and Billy James on drums – and tracks include "Little Duck", "It's Magic", "Trick Bag", and "Work Song" – plus the title cut "Goin Down Home", which was a big stepper's cut in Chicago! LP, Vinyl record album

The greatness of Gregory Porter continues to grow and grow – as the vocalist keeps moving past the straighter jazz of his roots, into a role as one of the greatest soul singers of the 21st Century! Porter's got a depth and maturity that few folks have had in recent years – especially in the realm of male vocals – very much that manner of important 70s singers like Bill Withers, Billy Paul, or Al Jarreau – who were schooled in jazz, but worked more in soulful styles that gave them a wider reach, and helped them to find a very personal voice in the process! We'd easily place Gregory in that legacy – one that he's definitely earned by this point – and he sounds arguably even better here than on his debut for Blue Note – working with arrangements from co-producer Kamau Kenyatta, who mixes in just the right current of jazz to keep things on track with the energy we first loved in Porter's first records – while still really letting his new energy open up and soar. Titles include "Holding On", "Insanity", "Don't Lose Your Steam", "Daydream", "Don't Be A Fool", "More Than A Woman", and "French African Queen". Also features different versions of two songs, with guest appearances – "Holding On" with Kem, and "Insanity" with Lalah Hathaway. CD

The greatness of Gregory Porter continues to grow and grow – as the vocalist keeps moving past the straighter jazz of his roots, into a role as one of the greatest soul singers of the 21st Century! Porter's got a depth and maturity that few folks have had in recent years – especially in the realm of male vocals – very much that manner of important 70s singers like Bill Withers, Billy Paul, or Al Jarreau – who were schooled in jazz, but worked more in soulful styles that gave them a wider reach, and helped them to find a very personal voice in the process! We'd easily place Gregory in that legacy – one that he's definitely earned by this point – and he sounds arguably even better here than on his debut for Blue Note – working with arrangements from co-producer Kamau Kenyatta, who mixes in just the right current of jazz to keep things on track with the energy we first loved in Porter's first records – while still really letting his new energy open up and soar. Titles include "Holding On", "Insanity", "Don't Lose Your Steam", "Daydream", "Don't Be A Fool", "More Than A Woman", and "French African Queen". Also features different versions of two songs, with guest appearances – "Holding On" with Kem, and "Insanity" with Lalah Hathaway. CD

The tenor of Stephen Riley does some really wonderful things here – somehow coming across with the lightness of an alto and the depth of a baritone at once – as Riley dances alongside some mighty nice organ work from Brian Charette! The mix of organ and tenor is so different here than any sort of classic-styled set – a really nice evolution from the old school mode, and one that takes it far from its soul jazz roots, yet without ever losing its swing – maybe in part because the excellent Billy Drummond handles the drumkit with a loose, open style that really matches the energy of Riley and Charette. Titles include "Gentle Rain", "Fall", "Paul's Pal", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Recorda Me", "Rain Check", and "Steeplechase". CD

Arrangements by Billy May, Paul Weston, and Benny Carter. CD

Hmmm . . . Don't know what the "difference" is here, given that the set was one of a number of Duke-inspired sessions of the late 50s, but given that Terry was a big force in the best ones, and that he's working here with some of Duke's best players, we'll give the set a thumbs up! The album features Terry in lead on trumpet, plus alto by Johnny Hodges, tenor by Paul Gonsalves, piano by Billy Strayhorn, vibes by Tyree Glenn, and trombone by Quentin Jackson – and arrangements are by either Mercer Ellington or Terry. Marian Bruce sings lead vocals on "In A Sentimental Mood", and the other, instrumental, tunes include "Cottontail", "Just Squeeze Me", "Mood Indigo", and "Come Sunday". LP, Vinyl record album

Steve Wilson on saxophone and flute, Paul Bollenback on acoustic guitar, Bruce Barth on keyboards and Fender Rhodes, Ed Edwards on bass, James Genus on electric bass, Adam Cruz and Billy Kilson on drums, and Wilson "Chembo" Corniel on percussion – plus vocals from Carla Cook, Phillip Manuel, and Rene Marie. CD

Music from Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Ray Price, The Blue Bells, The Texans, Billy Vaughn, The Robins, Ernie K Doe, Chip Taylor, Richard Chamberlain, The Shut Downs, Lonnie Mack, The Van Dykes, The Radiants, Wilbert Harrison, The Four Preps, Johnny Preston, Etta James, The Victorians, Paul Anka, Lloyd Price, The Ames Brothers, and Bob Luman – 24 tracks in all. CD

Music from the Intruders, Billy Paul, Bunny Sigler, Ebonys, Jacksons, Futures, Lou Rawls, Dee Dee Sharp, O'Jays, Three Degrees, and more. CD

One of the coolest collections to ever bear the name of Lux and Ivy in the title – a really great genre-busting collection of odd, offbeat, and unusual tracks from the vintage 45 underground – very much served up in the mix of modes the duo explored in The Cramps! There's a real love of the 7" single that informs the collection – that special sense of surprise and anticipation when dropping the needle on a vintage 45 – delivered nicely here as the package steps through a whopping 50 tracks over the course of 2CDs! Titles include "Kiss Me Goodnight" by Tony Castle, "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby" by Pat Hare, "The Chinese Rock N Roll" by The Flock Rocker, Annie Miss Fanny" by Mel Dorsey, "Story Of Susie" by Billy Woods with Kim Fowley, "Frustration" by The Zanies, "Too Big For Her Bikini" by Gerry Granahan, "Fallout Filly" by Chris Cerf & The Harvard Lampoon Tabernacle Choir, "No More" by The Uptones, "Tarzan" by Artie Wilson, "Zimba Lulu" by The Rays, "You Tarzan Me Jane" by Glenn Willings, "Choo Choo Train" by Ritchie Hart, "Little Lil" by Mel Dorsey & the Heartbeats, "Fallout" by Aston Martin & The Moon Discs, "Kalani Honey" by John Paul Jones, "The Switch" by Slim Marbles, "Miss Froggie" by Warren Smith, and lots lots more! CD

A masterful collection of Philly soul – hand-picked by the man who was spinning most of the classics back in the day! British DJ Norman Jay was the king of rare groove even before these grooves were rare – collecting American imports for play in the underground London scene, and really getting to know the Philly scene in a slightly left-of-center way. Norman's take on the sound of Philly International is really fresh – and nicely different from that offered on some of the other collections of work from the famous label. The set's got a good blend of lesser-known cuts and classic underground numbers – with tracks that include "Ain't No Time Fa Nothin" by The Futures, "Bump De Bump" by Monk Montgomery, "We Got Some Catchin Up To Do" by Jean Carn, "This Air That I Breathe" by The O'Jays, "In Good Faith" by Norman Harris, "Let Me Be Good To You" by Lou Rawls, "It's Hard No To Like You" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Let's Party Down" by MFSB, and "False Faces" and "East" by Billy Paul. 20 tracks on 2CDs! CD

Way more than just the usual Philly grooves – much less the American radio hits that always show up on sets like this, and instead a beautiful batch of soaring east coast soul tracks – just the sort of Philly soul that's played big on dancefloors for decades over in the UK! Some of the artists here are ones you'll know, but are usually represented by some more obscure cuts – mixed together with a few familiar numbers that have become classics over the past few decades, thanks to strong revival in the hands of global DJs! Titles include "Let's Clean Up The Ghetto" by The Philadelphia International All Stars, "Smarty Pants" by First Choice, "Trusting Heart" by The Trammps, "I Trust You" by Billy Paul, "Strut Your Funky Stuff" by Frantique, "Party Time Man" by The Futures, "I Told You So" by The Delfonics, "This Time Baby" by The O'Jays, "Can't Believe That You Love Me" by Bunny Sigler, and "Nobody Could Ever Take Your Place" by Dee Dee Sharp. CD

Philly Groovy – or Philly Groovin, more appropriately – that soaring, solid, positively upbeat sound that Philadelphia International first forged in the 70s – brought together here in a massive collection of some of the label's best uptemp tracks! The package features a number of hits, but also digs deep to come up with some of the lesser-known Philly groovers too – the kind of cuts that have kept the label's flame burning brightly over the years, thanks to rediscovery by DJs and crate-diggers in recent generations. Titles include "Lollipop" by Edwin Birdsong, "Don't Let Love Get You Down" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "The More I Get The More I Want" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Yellow Sunshine" by Yellow Sunshine, "Free Love" by Jean Carn, "Jam Jam Jam" by People's Choice, "Let The Dollar Circulate" by Billy Paul, "Tight Money" by Leon Huff, "You're Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" by The Jones Girls, "I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders, "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls, "Never Let You Get Away From Me" by Anthony White, and "I'll Never Forget My Favorite Disco" by Dexter Wansel. CD

Tracks by Earth, Wind & Fire, Maze, Average White Band, Billy Paul, Dramatics, Commodores, Donny Hathaway, the O Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Marvin Gaye & more. CD

Music from the Staple Singers, Al Green, Mel & Tim, the Spinners, the Main Ingredient, Betty Wright, Bill Withers, the Chi Lites, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack, Billy Paul, Joe Tex, and more – 24 tracks total. CD

An all-classic volume of this wonderful series – one that offers up way more rare 70s tracks than on some of their previous editions – including a lot of cuts that we'd never heard before! Lots of this work is in a really unique spot – not funk, not mainstream soul, but also not disco or club either – and instead in a territory that's a bit pre-modern soul, when artists were turning towards upbeat modes, both in sound and spirit – but still mostly keeping things at a warmly personal level! Some of these tunes remind us of some of our favorite Chicago soul – like work from the Brunswick/Dakar label – but others have more of an east coast vibe, and the tunes flow together wonderfully in that way that really makes us know when we've stepped into something special. Titles include "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, "Funny How We've Changed Places" by Debra Anderson, "Thanks But No Thanks" by General Crook, "Woman" by The Nicky Newarkers, "You Got To Know Better" by Touch Of Class, "When A Boy Falls In Love" by Willie Hutch, "I Love You" by Weldon Irvine, "Soul Travelin (part 1)" by Gary Byrd, "Mr Magic Man" by Wilson Pickett, "I Need Your Love" by Clydene Jackson, "Open Up Your Heart" by Wood Brass & Steel, "I Trust You" by Billy Paul, "Now That You're Gone" by Sonny Turner & Sound Limited, "I Only Hurt Myself" by Lonnie Youngblood, and "Better Late That Never" by Diane Ducane. CD

A sweet little set of classic 70s Philly – one of the best collections of work by the team of Gamble & Huff we've ever seen! There's nothing too obscure or offbeat here – and instead, the collection focuses mostly on the massive crossover tracks produced by the pair back in the day – the landmark soul that not only redefined the sound of Philly, but also the 70s as well! And while most of this material has been on the market often over the years, it's still pretty darn nice to see it all clustered together in one place. Most titles are the full-length album versions – and the CD features 14 tracks that include "Me & Mrs Jones" by Billy Paul, "When Will I See You Again" by Three Degrees, "TSOP" by MFSB, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice, "I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders, "Use Ta Be My Girl" by The O'Jays, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" by Lou Rawls, "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "Love Train" by The O'Jays, "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead, "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass, and "If You Only Knew" by Patti LaBelle. CD

An incredibly cool collection – one that offers up all sorts of weird and wonderful soul music covers of mainstream mellow 70s hits – new versions of the famous tunes that pull them strongly over to the world of R&B, often with results that are better than the original versions! The set is both a great demonstration of how much soul there was lurking in the original AOR productions of the mid 70s, and how strongly those currents could be unlocked even more in the right hands – as you'll hear in these sublime takes on tunes by Hall & Oates, Toto, Seals & Crofts, The Doobie Brothers, and other 70s pop giants. Titles include "Dirty Work" by Pointer Sisters, "Minute By Minute" by Peabo Bryson, "Georgie Porgy" by Side Effect, "He's Gone" by Dee Dee Bridgewater, "Summer Breeze" by Main Ingredient, "Lazy Nina" by Greg Phillinganes, "In The Way" by Brothers Johnson, "This Is It" by Millie Jackson, "Takin It To The Streets" by Quincy Jones, "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me" by Tavares, "God Only Knows" by Betty Lavette, "Let Em In" by Billy Paul, and "A Love Of Your Own" by The Ebonys. CD

An incredibly cool collection – one that offers up all sorts of weird and wonderful soul music covers of mainstream mellow 70s hits – new versions of the famous tunes that pull them strongly over to the world of R&B, often with results that are better than the original versions! The set is both a great demonstration of how much soul there was lurking in the original AOR productions of the mid 70s, and how strongly those currents could be unlocked even more in the right hands – as you'll hear in these sublime takes on tunes by Hall & Oates, Toto, Seals & Crofts, The Doobie Brothers, and other 70s pop giants. Titles include "Dirty Work" by Pointer Sisters, "Minute By Minute" by Peabo Bryson, "Georgie Porgy" by Side Effect, "He's Gone" by Dee Dee Bridgewater, "Summer Breeze" by Main Ingredient, "Lazy Nina" by Greg Phillinganes, "In The Way" by Brothers Johnson, "This Is It" by Millie Jackson, "Takin It To The Streets" by Quincy Jones, "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me" by Tavares, "God Only Knows" by Betty Lavette, "Let Em In" by Billy Paul, and "A Love Of Your Own" by The Ebonys. LP, Vinyl record album

Christian Escoude, Frederic Sylvestre, Jimmy Gourley, and Paul Challain Ferret on guitar, Marcel Azzola on accordion, Vincent Courtois on cello, Alby Cullaz on bass, and Billy Hart and Philippe Combelle on drums. CD

Featured sidemen include Marc Russo on alto, David Goldblatt on keyboards, Keith Jones on bass, and Billy Johnson, Paul Van Wageningen, and William Kennedy on drums. LP, Vinyl record album