A stunner! High Plains Drifter collects material from the mighty Lee Perry during the crucially creative and fertile period between 1968 & 1973 – in which he founded the Upsetter imprint and had some chart success. It was such a productive period, resulting in hundreds of singles and a number of albums, that a whole bunch of incredible music made during it has been pretty badly overlooked over the years! This set on the always great Pressure Sounds puts together 20 of those – many of them simmering with quite a funky sound! Killer organ grooves and smoking rhythms highlight numbers by Val Bennett, The Mellowtones, The Ethiopians, Junior Byles and, of course, the amazing Upsetters! Glen Adams and Winston Wright handle those organs, sax by Tommy McCook, bass by Aston Barrett, trumpet by Bobby Ellis and other legendary instrumentalists, plus Lee Perry on percussion and production. Includes "Val Blows In" by Val Bennett & The Upsetters, "Boss" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "High Plains Drifter", "The Man With No Name" and "Amigo" by The Upsetters, "It's Growing" by Busty Brown & The Upsetters, "What's Wrong With You" by The Bleechers, "He Don't Love You" by The Silvertones, "Awake" by The Ethiopians, "A Big Joke" by Lee Perry & The Upsetters, "Rockfort Psychedelion" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "Iniquity Workers" by The Faithful Brothers, "Rip Up Festival '71" by Junior Byles & Righteous Upsetters and more. CD

Really haunting work from Leo Smith – a key 70s session that features some of his sharpest trumpet work on record, plus some unusual instrumentation that really makes the album stand out! Half the tracks feature some wonderful vibes from Bobby Naughton – spare and dark-sounding, very much a great companion to Smith's spacious trumpet and flugelhorn lines – in a group that also features Dwight Anderson on wooden flute, tenor, and clarinet, Pheeroan Ak Laff on drums, and Wes Brown on bass and a bit more wooden flute! The other two tracks on the session feature Smith's trumpet with a trio of harp players – Irene, Carol, and Ruth Emmanuel – all very interesting players on their instrument, using the strings in these carefully chromatic ways that are really wonderful – quite different than any sort of Dorothy Ashby vibe, but with a similar sense of spiritual energy. Titles include "Images", "The Burning Of Stones", "Spirit Catcher", and "The Burning Of Stones (first version)". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really lives up to its title – thanks to some mighty bluesy playing from all players involved! The core of the album's a lot more relaxed than the usual Pablo date – long, stretched-out tracks that are simply titled "Alternate One", "Alternate Two", and so on – played by a rhythm section that features Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, Joe Pass on guitar, and Bobby Durham on drums – topped with trumpet and flugelhorn work from Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, and Dizzy Gillespie! The set also features two more standard tracks – but still very open and bluesy – versions of "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" and a "Ballad Medley". LP, Vinyl record album

Ward performs with a stellar ensemble led by Bucky Pizzarelli, including Steve Jordan, Bernie Privin, Pee Wee Erwin, Ruby Braff, George Masso, Vic Dickenson, Phil Bodner, Al Cohn, Mickey Crane, Tony Monte, Warren Chiasson, Milt Hinton, Slam Stewart, Butch Miles, and Bobby Rosengarden. Titles include "I've Got The World On A String", "Pennies From Heaven", "Goody Goody", "Jeepers Creepers", "S Wonderful", "Sweet Georgia Brown" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Key years in the Bert Berns story – that magical mid 60s period when Berns was coming up with some killer soul sides, and a few famous rockers too! The sound here is tremendous – kind of a "wall of sound" to New York soul – that marvelous style that's also known as uptown soul, for its careful production and sense of class. Some of the most important Berns moments are collected here, alongside lesser-known gems that really round out the sound – including 8 tracks appearing on CD for the first time, which should be plenty to peak the interest of any 60s soul collectors (as if the great Ace notes and package weren't enough!) Production is wonderful throughout, and the set list features some killer Atlantic/Atco singles – plus other gems from smaller indies of the period – cuts that include "Mojo Mama" by Don Varner, "No One Could Ever Love You" by Freddie Scott, "Show Me Your Monkey" by Kenny Hamber, "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" by Solomon Burke, "It Was Easier To Hurt Her" by Garnett Mimms, "I Went Out With My Baby Tonight" by Moses K & The Prophets, "Run Mascara" by The Exciters, "Cry No More" by Ben E King, "Mr Success" by Bobby Harris, "Gone Gone" by Roy C, "Better Not Believe Him" by Barbara Lewis, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, "I Got To Go Back" by Otis Redding, "If I Would Marry You" by Tammy Montgomery, and "Come On Girl" by The Knight Brothers. CD

Key years in the Bert Berns story – that magical mid 60s period when Berns was coming up with some killer soul sides, and a few famous rockers too! The sound here is tremendous – kind of a "wall of sound" to New York soul – that marvelous style that's also known as uptown soul, for its careful production and sense of class. Some of the most important Berns moments are collected here, alongside lesser-known gems that really round out the sound – including 8 tracks appearing on CD for the first time, which should be plenty to peak the interest of any 60s soul collectors (as if the great Ace notes and package weren't enough!) Production is wonderful throughout, and the set list features some killer Atlantic/Atco singles – plus other gems from smaller indies of the period – cuts that include "Mojo Mama" by Don Varner, "No One Could Ever Love You" by Freddie Scott, "Show Me Your Monkey" by Kenny Hamber, "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" by Solomon Burke, "It Was Easier To Hurt Her" by Garnett Mimms, "I Went Out With My Baby Tonight" by Moses K & The Prophets, "Run Mascara" by The Exciters, "Cry No More" by Ben E King, "Mr Success" by Bobby Harris, "Gone Gone" by Roy C, "Better Not Believe Him" by Barbara Lewis, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, "I Got To Go Back" by Otis Redding, "If I Would Marry You" by Tammy Montgomery, and "Come On Girl" by The Knight Brothers. CD

Music from Ron Levy, Bobby Radcliff, Nappy Brown, Snooks Eaglin, Earl King, Hubert Sumlin, the Neville Brothers, Ronnie Earl, Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, Buckwheat Zydeco & more. CD

A great US take on the Jam Up Twist sound of DJ Andy Smith – the groove he explored on a previous compilation in the UK – now served up here in a different lineup for the states! The music is a mad mix of R&B, jump blues, rockabilly, and other raw sounds from the tail end of the 50s – very much like the sort of territory that Keb Darge has explored on his excellent sets with Little Edith – and the kind of sounds that go way way beyond well-known hits from the period! Smith digs very deep in the crates, and gets some help with selections from Deano Sounds as well – on this smoking set that includes "Honey Child" by Johnny Williams, "What's My Chances" by Chuck Flamingo, "Thanks Mr Postman" by Bobby King, "Lonesome Shack" by Ernie Washington, "Doing All Right" by Eddie Cash, "Swingin & Surfin" by Les Brown Jr, "Ever Again" by Gene Woodbury, "High School Caesar" by Reggie Perkins, "Monkey's Uncle" by Ray Sharpe, and "Pack Shack & Stack" by Billy Nelson. CD

That's a sweet image on the cover – and the grooves inside are equally dynamic too – a really wonderful collection that's easily one of the most compelling in Numero's Eccentric Soul series! The work here all hails from the tiny San Antonio scene of the late 60s – but much of the music has a sound that's way different than you might expect from Texas soul – often with great harmonies that recall the best of the east coast groups of the time, and occasionally with a few brown-eyed touches that echo the style of East LA! There's a wonderfully heartbreaking feel to many of these tracks – and the set's heavy focus on mellower numbers is totally great – and gives the whole thing a wonderful late nite sort of vibe that's usually quite hard to find in compilations like this. As usual, Numero's done a great job with the notes and history of the label – but the music alone is more than enough – a heady brew of cuts that include "Little Girl Blue" and "Try Loving Me" by The Webs, "I Gotta Know" by Tonettes, "Give Your Love To Me" and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Little Jr Jesse & The Tear Drops, "Cry & Wonder Why" by Doc & Sal, "Must Be Alright" and "Hey It's Love" by The Commands, "She's Gotta Have Soul" by Bobby Blackmon & The Soul Express, and "I Can't Take No More" by Willie Cooper & The Webs. CD

The second time around, Ghostbusters is arguably even more soul-filled and beat-heavy than the first time – thanks to a mix of modern soul tracks that are heavy on influences from new jack and hip hop! Top-shelf producers dominate – including Bobby Brown, Deodato, Jellybean, and the team of LA & Babyface – and titles include Run DMC's version of "Ghostbusters", plus "Spirit" by Doug E Fresh, "We're Back" and "On Our Own" by Bobby Brown, "Supernatural" by New Edition, "The Promised Land" by James JT Taylor, and "Higher & Higher" by Howard Huntsberry – plus rock tracks "Love Is A Cannibal" by Elton John, "Flesh N Blood" by Oingo Boingo, and "Flip City" by Glenn Frey. CD

The hits of 77 here aren't the big American chart hits of 1977 – but instead are some key cuts from the Jamaican scene in Kingston – served up here in versions produced by the legendary Sonia Pottinger! And in fact, it might be a stretch to call all these cuts hits – but that's OK with us, because the set works best as a musical snapshot of evolving 70s reggae from Pottinger's perspective – which, as always, represents the more soulful side of the spectrum – that move forward from earlier rocksteady inspiration, served up with more of a late 70s reggae vibe. Titles include "Anywhere You want To Go" by Calman Scott, "Without Love" by Hell & Fire, "Up Park Camp" by Turnel McCormack & The Cordells, "I'm Still In Love" by Maureen Pearson, "Run For Your Life" by Earth & Stone, and "Ghetto Girl" by The Fantells. PLUS, this 2CD version features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 34 more numbers added to the original album, most unavailable since the 70s – all Pottinger-produced tracks by Jimmy Riley, Delroy Wilson, Earth & Stone, Reggae George, Bobby Ellis & The Revolutionaries, Al Brown, Astley Bennett, The Prince Brothers, U Roy, Owen Gray, Soul Syndicate, and others. CD

A treasure trove of rare Motown from some of legendary label's most classic acts – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Four Tops, Brenda Holloway, Martha & The Vandellas, The Supremes, The Originals, Bobby Taylor, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye & The Jackson 5 – prime vintage late 60s to early 70s recordings that have barely if ever seen light of day! Motown recording artists put a lot of work into the recording side of their artistry back in the day, so there was a lot classic level material that didn't come out right away, some finding release on later compilations or on box sets, some STILL just now seeing release. Half of this dozen song collection have never come out in any form until now – including "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" by The Originals and stereo mixes of "For Once In My Life" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, "Pretty Little Brown Skin Girl" by The Temptations and "Touched By Love" by Bobby Taylor and more – plus the rarities "You're Walking Out With My Heart" by Brenda Holloway, "Which Way Is The Sky" by the Four Tops, "Let's Have A Party" by the J5, "The Boy From Crosstown" (Version 1) by The Marvelettes and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by Kip Anderson, Buddy Rogers, Bobby Blue Bland, Little Johnnie Cook, Sherman Evans, Otis Blackwell, Finney-Mo, Doc Palmer, Jackie Dunham, KC Mojo Watson, Pork Chops, Tender Slim, Premiers, Buster Brown, Marty Lewis, Good Rockin' Sammy T, Kid Thomas, and Big Boy Groves. LP, Vinyl record album

Another blistering treasure trove of Canadian reggae! You heard us right, this batch of deep and heavy roots comes all the way from Toronto, and though it may be geographically isolated from the Caribbean, the vibes are deeply rooted foundation rock, not unlike some of the other astoundingly great material the folks at Light In The Attic have reissued. Jerry Brown's Summer Records imprint churned out no small number of tremendous reggae cuts, as this excellent compilation documents, working with West Indian ex-pats, visiting luminaries and local talent, too! The tracks run the gamut from bright and crisp to murky smoked out but it's all unbelievably great and will open your eyes to a whole new scene in the same way that the refreshing Jamaica Toronto set did! 15 tracks in all, including "Love Makes The World Go Round", "Warrior" and "Jah Jah Live Forever" by Johnny Osbourne, "Sufferer" and "Awakening" by Earth, Roots & Water, "Run Them A Run" by Willi Williams, "Reach My Destiny" by Noel Ellis, "Dreadlock Lady" by Jerry Brown, "Come Together" by Bobby Gaynair and Earth, Roots & Water, and "Mankind" by Adrian Homer Miller and Earth, Roots & Water. Plus as a bonus, there's a DVD layer on the CD, with 20 minutes of excellent archival footage of Jerry Brown and his artists in the studio and at the dance! CD

A second chapter for boy band 80s soul! After Bobby Brown set off on his own, the remaining three members of New Edition decided to remain a group and give it a go, and far from being a sad collection of the leftover members, their debut album was actually one of many successful New Jack Swing efforts the group would produce! Given a helping hand from the Shocklee brothers on production, this set includes "Poison", "Do Me!", "Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph & Johnny (Word To The Mutha!)", "She's Dope!", "BBD (I Thought It Was Me)?", "When Will I See You Again?" and "Ain't Nut'in Changed!" LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner! High Plains Drifter collects material from the mighty Lee Perry during the crucially creative and fertile period between 1968 & 1973 – in which he founded the Upsetter imprint and had some chart success. It was such a productive period, resulting in hundreds of singles and a number of albums, that a whole bunch of incredible music made during it has been pretty badly overlooked over the years! This set on the always great Pressure Sounds puts together 20 of those – many of them simmering with quite a funky sound! Killer organ grooves and smoking rhythms highlight numbers by Val Bennett, The Mellowtones, The Ethiopians, Junior Byles and, of course, the amazing Upsetters! Glen Adams and Winston Wright handle those organs, sax by Tommy McCook, bass by Aston Barrett, trumpet by Bobby Ellis and other legendary instrumentalists, plus Lee Perry on percussion and production. Includes "Val Blows In" by Val Bennett & The Upsetters, "Boss" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "High Plains Drifter", "The Man With No Name" and "Amigo" by The Upsetters, "It's Growing" by Busty Brown & The Upsetters, "What's Wrong With You" by The Bleechers, "He Don't Love You" by The Silvertones, "Awake" by The Ethiopians, "A Big Joke" by Lee Perry & The Upsetters, "Rockfort Psychedelion" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "Iniquity Workers" by The Faithful Brothers, "Rip Up Festival '71" by Junior Byles & Righteous Upsetters and more. CD

Weather Report at the start of the 80s – really stretching out here in a live performance from a tour in support of their 8:30 album at the time! The style here is sharper and more hard-edged than that album, though – as the live setting shakes off some of the warmer studio elements, and exposes the group still very powerful at the core – with some especially bold elements coming from the keyboards of Joe Zawinul and saxes of Wayne Shorter! The rest of the lineup includes Jaco Pastorius on bass, Peter Erskine on drums, and Bobby Thomas on percussion – and titles include "Madagascar", "Three Views Of A Street", "Port Of Entry", "Dream Clock", "Brown Street", and even a "Bass Solo" from Pastorius! CD

Featuring Johnnie Taylor, ZZ Hill, Denise LaSalle, Latimore, Bobby Bland, Little Richard, BB King, Robert Cray, Shirley Brown, Slim Harpo, Little Milton, Luther Ingram, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure box of early 60s R&B 45s – a top shelf collection of singles cut for the King & Federal labels from 1960 to 1964 – amazing numbers from Hank Ballard, Freddy King, The Drivers, Little Bobby Moore, Willie Dixon & The Big Wheels, Johnny Guitar Watson, Carol Ford, Little Willie John and more. Early 60s soul and rollicking R&B sides to rival the best and most exciting sounds of the era – compiled by DJ Mr Fine Wine, most of which have never been reissued before now! Includes "Gibble Gobble" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Broadway" by Hank Ballard, "What Makes You So Cold" by Lulu Reed, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "The Slummer The Slum" by The 5 Royales, "I Don't Know About You" by Lloyd Nolan, "Where You At Jack" by Little Mummy,, "That's It Man" by The Valentines, "Mind Your Own Business" by Eugene Church, "Regardless" by Charles Brown,, "Texas Oil" by Freddie King", "One Zippy Zam" by Roy Mildton & His Orchestra, "Mom, Won't You Teach Me To Monkey" by Little Emmett Suttoon, "Hog Killin Time" by Eddie Kirk and more. CD

Incredible work from pianist Duke Pearson – a darkly-tinged album of grooves that surpasses all his other gems for Blue Note! The record showcases some great work from Bobby Hutcherson – slid into the mix in a really sly way, so that his jazzy vibes color all the tunes with an edgey feeling that's missing from most of Duke's other albums. The group's slightly largeish – with Jerry Dodgion on flute and alto, Sam Brown and Al Gafa on guitar, plus added Latin percussion on a number of tracks – but although the larger group format often made for softer edges on other Pearson sessions from the time, the mix here is quite different – at a level that works in complicated rhythms, rich colors and tones, and warm harmonics that have a slightly unsettling undercurrent. The album's worth it alone for the mighty title cut "The Phantom" – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "Bunda Amerela", "Say You're Mine" and "Blues for Alvina". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Funkadelic, James Brown, the Meters, Joe Tex, Ohio Players, the Notations, Ripple, Leroy Hutson, Bobby Patterson, Curtis Mayfield & more. CD

Groundbreaking work from Archie Shepp – 5 albums that helped define the Impulse Records sound of the 60s! First up is Four For Trane – an amazing Impulse debut from Archie Shepp – easily one of his boldest musical statements ever, and a key announcement to the world that a new generation of modernists was on the rise! The album was co-produced by John Coltrane – who brought Shepp to the label, and almost gets out-done by Archie's sharply crafted musical vision on the set. The style here is that mix of freer lines and tighter conception that Shepp used with the New York Contemporary Five – and players include John Tchicai on alto from that group, plus Roswell Rudd on trombone, Alan Shorter on flugelhorn, Reggie Workman on bass, and Charles Moffett on drums. The lack of piano in the album is striking – and allows for plenty of horn interplay, but in a way that's much more cutting and dark than any of the piano-less horn dates from the 50s. Titles include 4 Coltrane compositions ("Syeeda's Song Flute", "Mr Syms", "Cousin Mary", and "Naima"), as sort of a tribute to Trane – plus Shepp's excellent "Rufus (Swung, his face at last to the wind, then his neck snapped)". On This Night is one of his most successful blends of the disparate influences that comprised his style. The group is a bit smaller than usual – which gives good focus to players like Bobby Hutcherson, Henry Grimes, and Joe Chambers. Shepp contributed some of his most haunting compositions to the set – including "On This Night", "The Mac Man", and "The Pickaninny" – and the whole thing's amazing enough to make you a Shepp convert for life. Whenever we get bogged down in some of his later recordings, we only need put this one on and feel refreshed! Fire Music is fantastic stuff – 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 is 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". Way Ahead Is definitely the way ahead in jazz – back in the 60s, and well into the 21st Century too! Archie Shepp's in prime form here – working with a sextet that's awash in avant freedoms, but which always shows a great sense of restraint – just the right power gained from the new modes of jazz expression, as the players dance together beautifully on a razor's edge of personal creativity and ensemble exploration. Players here include Grachan Moncur on trombone, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Beaver Harris and Roy Haynes on drums – and the album also features the first piano player on most of the Shepp albums on Impulse – Walter Davis Jr, making a rare outside appearance with the group! Titles include the classic track "Frankenstein", plus "Fiesta", "Damn If I Know (The Stroller)", and "Sophisticated Lady" – all nice and long! CD

A wonderfully expanded version of this classic of funky funky female soul! Marva Whitney was one of the greatest singers in the James Brown stable of stars during the late 60s – and she sang with a hard raw style worth of The Godfather himself! Brother James produced and wrote a good part of this classic album – and the record is one of the greatest JB albums of all time! Nearly every cut's a winner – like the sample classic "Unwind Yourself", which has a crazy corkscrew sax line, or the massive two-part remake of the Isley's "It's Your Thing" (titled "It's My Thing"), or the slowly funky "Get Out Of My Life", or the massive duet with Bobby Byrd "You Got To Have A Job", or the classic instrumental "In The Middle". This reissue is an expanded version, and it features a very excellent batch of tracks that were previously only issued as funky 45s! Tracks include "Sunny", "I Made A Mistake Because It's Only You (parts 1 & 2)", "You Got To Have A Job", "Shades Of (inst)", "I'm Tired I'm Tired I'm Tired", "This Girl's In Love With You", "He's The One", "Unwind Yourself", "What Kind Of Man", "Things Got To Get Better", "It's My Thing (parts 1 & 2)", and "Get Out Of My Life". 18 cuts in all. LP, Vinyl record album

With Chris Brown on gazamba and wing, Bill Frisell on guitar, Dave Hofstra on electric bass and tuba, Joey Peters on electronic drms, Bobby Previte on drum programming, Elliott Sharp on guitars and bass, Doug Wieselman on clarinet, tenor sax, and rhythm guitar, Jim Mussen on emulator drums, and Nica on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album