A huge book on the equally-huge creative legacy of bassist William Parker – a musician who first arose in the loft jazz scene in New York during the 70s, but who's gone on to be one of its greatest surviving players, and one who's transformed the inspirations of that world into so many different modes of expression over the decades! Author Cisco Bradley really digs deep – following Parker from his southern roots to his childhood in the South Bronx, to his strong contributions to avant scenes, first in New York, then around the globe – all with a sensitivity to community and context that shows that Parker isn't just some genius musician, but both an evolving participant in creative activity, and one whose contributions have transformed the landscape as well! The book is softcover, 402 pages, and has copious notes, a discography, and even some black and white images as well. Book

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Damn amazing work from Charles Bradley – an instant soul classic for all generations, as you'll hear from the very first note! Not only are Bradley's vocals incredible – the kind of once-in-a-long-time approach he brought to his debut – but the backings and production are completely sublime too – magical music from the Menahan Street Band, who sound here like some lost combo from 60s Memphis, but without any of the hoke that reference might imply – instead that really unique approach that you'd only find on one of your few favorite vintage soul albums – maybe Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, or Jesse James on his 60s album for 20th Century! Yet the sound here isn't just vintage for vintage sake, either – as there's an intensity that's very present, contemporary, and urgent – a sound that doesn't die – and which just gets better and better with each new listen. Tremendous stuff – even from the Daptone universe we've been loving for years and years – with titles that include "Strictly Reserved For You", "You Put The Flame On It", "Dusty Blue", "Love Bug Blues", "Hurricane", "Through The Storm", "Confusion", and "Where Do We Go From Here". CD

The music scene in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is one that's had an undeniable impact on cultural activity in recent decades – yet it's also one of those scenes that initially happened without most folks taking place – that is, it was a real artist and musician's scene, and not the kind that was easily open to outsiders until many years later! In this really well-done book, Cisco Bradley (who also gave us a great volume on William Parker) digs deep into the earliest days of the Williamsburg scene – that late 80s moment when Manhattan and other spots had become too expensive for the truly creative – and the other side of the East River emerged as a great place to move, live, and continue to make music. Bradley really gets at the criss-crossing elements of the scene at the time – and follows it well into the 21st Century, to a time when the changing real estate market in Brooklyn, and subsequent zoning changes, started to give Williamsburg the same creative fate as Soho, the East Village, and other important New York scenes in previous decades. Different initial chapters look at key spaces as forces – warehouses and lofts, clubs and galleries, and even pirate radio – and later chapters look at the larger forces causing change in the 21st Century. A really hefty book, as well-researched as it is well-written – 388 pages, softcover, with some black and white images. Book

A really unusual record for the Malaco label – and one that represents a time when the Mississippi deep soul powerhouse was coming to terms with some of the dancefloor changes of the time! Frederick Knight produced – and side one has him giving James Bradley a few surprising club cuts that almost feel more like Miami groovers of the time – balanced out nicely with some slower-steppers on side two, which really seem perfect for Bradley's mix of soul and sophistication! These cuts are wonderful – really overlooked gems that often sound little like Malaco work, and maybe more like some of the modern soul moments on labels like Capitol or Arista at the time. Titles include "Wrapped Up In Your Love", "I'm In Too Deep", "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", "Knowing You're My Everything", "Never Too Far Away", and "Let's Do It Together". CD

Although this single's actually from the movie Hairspray, it's a killer 2-in-1 of early 60s Chicago soul hits! Ray Bryant's "Madison Time" is incredible – and it's got a sinister walking piano line, backed with "calls" by Eddie Morrison that turn the cut into a fantastic groover with a very dark sound. The flipside is a sweet little girl soul cut, with a great mellow vocal! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Wendell Harrison changes up his groove once again – hitting a smooth, urban-styled jazz mode – one that features vocals on a number of cuts, including a great guest appearance from Jean Carne! The overall feel of the set is like some of Harrison's albums of the 80s – a bit smooth, but always soulful – and often using electric keyboards and a bit of drum programming, next to acoustic sax and percussion. Harrison plays both clarinet and tenor sax – and on some tracks, he puts both of these aside for some work on keyboards. Titles include "Lately", "Pojo", "Living For The Love Of You", "Ride", "We'll Miss Each Other", "Smooth Mini", and "My Stuff". CD

4 mixes of this classic bit of Detroit Techno – going over the top, into the mainstream, thanks to the lasting genius of Kevin Saunderson! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A soundtrack project from tenorist Javon Jackson, and one that may well be our favorite album from him in years – as it really lets Javon explore all these different sounds, shapes, and styles – while still working with a small combo that makes for a very unified vibe on the entire record! The set mixes a few non-soundtrack titles with the shorter numbers from the film, really expanding the palette – and overall, things have this soulful, swinging quality that almost reminds us of the spirit of some of the soundtrack material by Bill Lee from many years back – equally evocative, lyrical, and well-performed – by a quintet that features Gregg Glassman on trumpet, Jeremy Mansaia on piano, David Williams on bass, and either Charles Gold or McClenty Hunter on drums. Titles include "The Game", "Brother G", "Never Let Me Go", "In The Studio", "CB", "D Town", "In The Clouds", "On The Move", and "Amy's Theme". CD

A live trio recording with Barron on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. Tracks include "Solar", "Blue Moon", "Alter Ego", and "Everybody Loves My Baby, But My Baby Don't Love Nobody But Me". CD

Features Kenny Barron on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. Tracks include "Twilight Song", "The Only One", "Shuffle Boil", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". CD

A crucial album in the sound of late 60s Warner – recorded by west coasters The Beau Brummels in the heart of Tennessee, at the legendary studios of country producer Owen Bradley! This meeting of west and country is fantastic – a really incredible extension of earlier folksy rock styles forged by Dylan, Fred Neil, Tim Buckley, and others – handled with incredible care, and a style that's equally honest and ironic – but coming together with a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – one of those rare few albums that somehow draws from a wealth of inspiration, but manages to make something completely standout in the process – almost a Feelies/Good Earth for its own generation! Tremendous stuff – and titles include "Jessica", "Bless You California", "I'm A Sleeper", "Little Bird", "Turn Around", and "An Added Attraction". CD

Kevin Eubanks on guitar, James Williams on piano, and Robert Hurst on bass. CD

A soundtrack project from tenorist Javon Jackson, and one that may well be our favorite album from him in years – as it really lets Javon explore all these different sounds, shapes, and styles – while still working with a small combo that makes for a very unified vibe on the entire record! The set mixes a few non-soundtrack titles with the shorter numbers from the film, really expanding the palette – and overall, things have this soulful, swinging quality that almost reminds us of the spirit of some of the soundtrack material by Bill Lee from many years back – equally evocative, lyrical, and well-performed – by a quintet that features Gregg Glassman on trumpet, Jeremy Mansaia on piano, David Williams on bass, and either Charles Gold or McClenty Hunter on drums. Titles include "The Game", "Brother G", "Never Let Me Go", "In The Studio", "CB", "D Town", "In The Clouds", "On The Move", and "Amy's Theme". CD

Just Kirk Lightsey on piano and Rufus Reid on bass! Titles include "Speak No Evil", "From Dream To Dream", "Oleo", "I Told You So", "Giant Steps", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". CD

Includes video by Beryl Korot. CD

An unusual collection of early work by The Beau Brummels – pre-Warner material recorded for Autumn, but on a record issued by the Vault label! There's a great sense of jangle-pop throughout – a slight twang that would later unfold in different ways in Bradley's Barn, but which here works to give the tunes this little sense of sadness amidst the warmer melodies – which themselves are particularly great, and much better-crafted than some of the other US groups of this nature at the time. The boys definitely borrow a bit from The Beatles (including a name that gave them placement right next to the fab four in the record racks) – but maybe they're also drawing on some of the folk harmony groups from the SF scene they called home, too. LP, Vinyl record album

With Bradley Jones on electric bass, Al McDowell on electric bass, Chris Rosenberg and Ken Wessel on guitar, Dave Bryant on keyboards, Denardo Coleman on drums, and Badal Roy on tabla. CD

Record Culture is even cooler than ever – as this issue comes with a bonus book as well! But first, the magazine – this issue has the same great format as the others – a book-style package, filled with beautiful full color photos of record collectors, vinyl culture, and other cool bits from around the world – all put together to show that the love of records knows no boundaries, and is still more vibrant now than it was back in the 20th Century! There's a great article in this issue on Twilite Tone – a Chicago hero from way back, given plenty of space for his career and love of vinyl – and the issue also has features on Gerd Janson, June Jones, Eug, Vanessa Worm, Sebastien Dellier, and Bradley Zero – again, based on their interest and use of records. And lastly, there's a very interesting feature – postcards sent to the Time & Space radio show at WNYU! 211 pages, full color, and more like a softcover book. Then, you also get the very cool book – Second Generation – a collection of Chicago house music flyers from the years 1991 to 200 – dozens of pages of ads for gigs and shows, all in full color, pulled from the archives of Mark Farina and Alicia Prior. Magazine

One of the best funk albums of the 2010s – and one that really does an amazing job of putting equal emphasis on instrumentation and deep soul vocals! Slim Moore comes across like some lost singer from the early 70s funky 45 generation – gritty and upfront, with a quality that's instantly infectious – almost like Syl Johnson during his Twinight years. Then the Mar-Kays play with this depth that's equally wonderful – mixing funky licks with more complicated soul touches – some of the vibes we've gotten from the Daptone scene – slower grooves mixed with faster ones, touches of hip instrumentation, like vibes – all wrapped up in a production style that really recalls the best days of indie soul. The whole thing's wonderful – a record we'd put right up there with Lee Fields' My World, or the Charles Bradley full-length – and a set we'll be digging for years! Titles include "How Long", "Cityscape", "Slim's Theme", "Reachin Higher", "Mar-Kays Theme", "Cool Breeze", and Help Me Now". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums recorded by trombonist Kai Winding in the 60s – a set that follows the larger ensemble mode he moved to after parting ways with trombonist JJ Johnson, yet one that also has some surprisingly groovy elements in the mix! The album was recorded in Nashville, and features the "modern country" promised in the title – as Kai takes on tunes from the Nashville songbook, with help from Bill McElhiney and Grady Martin on the larger charts – the latter of who also plays guitar on record, alongside Nashville legend Harold Bradley! There's some great use of organ at times, which really emphasizes a more soulful vibe in the music – and the Anita Kerr singers come in on a few tracks, with those wonderful harmonies that sound even better in a non-country setting than they do on their standard work for RCA. Titles include "Wolverton Mountain", "Busted", "I Really Don't Want To Know", "Detroit City", "I Walk The Line", "Dang Me", and "Slippin Around". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis. CD

With selections by Billie Holiday, Pete Johnson & His Boogie Woogie Boys, Will Bradley, Count Basie, Hot Lips Page, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Noble Sissle Swingsters, and Dizzy Gillespie. LP, Vinyl record album

Art Hoyle on trumpet and flugelhorn, Pat Mallinger on saxophone, Bradley Williams on piano, Dan Shapera on bass, and Robert Shy on drums. CD

A cool underground set – recorded at Bradley's Barn in Nashville, but with a darker vibe that's like the headier side of the LA scene! The group mix in some work on trumpet and organ next to the fuzzy guitars – and lead vocals are from Joe Hinchliffe, on titles that include "Snake's Problem", "One Man's Way", "Plain Brown Wrapper", "Fat Plastic Mama", and "1099 OS". LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield is a hell of a singer – as most folks know from his work in the Impressions, and his later solo classics of the 70s – and he's also a hell of a songwriter too, one who was very generous with his magical material, right from the start! Back in the 60s, Curtis was sharing his songs with other up-and-coming soul singers on the Chicago scene – some of whom he was also producing in the studio, as well – and as the decade moved into the 70s, others were soon picking up Mayfield's tunes – both for their ability to deliver a personal message, and for the larger political agenda that was always in the music too! This really well-done collection brings together two dozen of Curtis' best songs, handled by other folks – mostly from the 60s and early 70s, but with a few surprises from later years too – all supported with a really great collection of notes and other information too. Titles include "Man's Temptation" by the Jackson 5, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, "Rainbow (alt)" by Gene Chandler, "Monkey Time" by The Miracles, "I'm So Proud" by Main Ingredient, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "That's What Love Will Do" by The Gaylads, "Never Stop Loving Me" by Keni Burke, "I've Been Trying" by Jerry Butler, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's All Over" by Walter Jackson, "Mama Didn't Lie" by The Orlons, "He Will Break Your Heart" by Freddie Scott, "People Get Ready" by Dionne Warwick, "Need To Belong" by Isaac Hayes, "Make Me Believe In You" by Patti Jo, "Let's Do It Again (single edit)" by The Staple Singers, "Look Into Your Heart (single edit)" by Aretha Franklin, and "The Makings Of You" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. CD

An album issued under the name of Victor Axelrod, but one that features his talents as a producer and performer – working alongside a whole host of other artists who are part of the mighty soul and funk stable of Daptone Records! The set includes some 7" only cuts handled by Victor, plus unreleased numbers too – and if you know his work, you'll know that he's got a great way of updating older Jamaican soul and rocksteady modes with some of the leaner Daptone styles of the 21st Century – really letting the vocals soar in a wonderful way, while also serving up plenty of head-nodding grooves! Titles include "One Step Ahead" by Sugar Minott, "I Can Be Cool" and "I Can't Stand These Lonely Nights" by Bob & Gene, "I'd Rather Go Blind" by The Frightnrs, "Lover Like Me" by Binky Griptite, "If You Ask Me To" by Leon Dinero, "Whatcha Doing To Me" by Charles Bradley, and "How Long Do I Have To Wait For You" by Sharon Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Post Beau Brummels work by Ron Elliott – and a set that really echoes the group's best moments on Bradley's Barn and some of the later albums! The style here is slightly rootsy, as in the later years of the BB's – a blend of country influences and California hip – often played with small group instrumentation, but carried off with a chromatic sophistication that's really unique – a bit like the work of Tom Rapp, but not nearly as tortured. Elliott's vocals are great – sometimes gruff, but certainly with a great degree of humanity – and titles include the two-part, side-long "Candlestickmaker Suite", plus "Lazy Day", "All Time Green", "Deep River Runs Blue", and "To The City To The Sea". LP, Vinyl record album

Four late 70s albums from Charley Pride – brought together in a single collection! Pride still sounds great here – opening up his sound a bit past the usual RCA style of the past, with lots of production help from Jerry Bradley, plus a bit of work from Jack Clement too! The set features the spiritual set Sunday Morning With Charley Pride, plus three secular albums – the last two of which have Charley working with Bradley on production – finding a rich sound that really suits his voice well, and that special style of gentle sadness he can bring to a tune. 2CD set features 41 tracks in all! CD

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis. CD

Includes tracks by Duane Eddy, Link Wray, The Fireballs, Royaltones, Champs, Shadows, Owen Bradley, Santo & Johnny, Chet Atkins, Chuck Berry, and others – 50 tracks total. CD

An album issued under the name of Victor Axelrod, but one that features his talents as a producer and performer – working alongside a whole host of other artists who are part of the mighty soul and funk stable of Daptone Records! The set includes some 7" only cuts handled by Victor, plus unreleased numbers too – and if you know his work, you'll know that he's got a great way of updating older Jamaican soul and rocksteady modes with some of the leaner Daptone styles of the 21st Century – really letting the vocals soar in a wonderful way, while also serving up plenty of head-nodding grooves! Titles include "One Step Ahead" by Sugar Minott, "I Can Be Cool" and "I Can't Stand These Lonely Nights" by Bob & Gene, "I'd Rather Go Blind" by The Frightnrs, "Lover Like Me" by Binky Griptite, "If You Ask Me To" by Leon Dinero, "Whatcha Doing To Me" by Charles Bradley, and "How Long Do I Have To Wait For You" by Sharon Jones. CD

A stunning collection of work from one of our favorite bands of the 60s – a group who sprung up on the San Francisco scene of the mid 60s, then evolved with an amazing sound in just a few short years! The set begins with the group's three albums for the Autumn label – Introducing, Volume Two, and Beau Brummels 66 – and packs those with 47 related demo tracks, outtakes, and alternates – giving a really amazing picture of the group at the start! Then, the package moves into their two tremendous albums for Warner Brothers – Triangle and Bradley's Barn, both of which are real highlights on the late 60s creative landscape of the label – presented here with 32 associated demo tracks and rarities from those sessions! Then, the set moves into a 1965 demo session for Autumn Records, with over two dozen songs in development form in the studio. CD7 features solo work from Ron Elliott and Sal Valentino of the group – including some unheard material! CD8 features 28 more tracks – all single cuts from the group, including cancelled releases, and some solo singles from Sal Valentino. 228 tracks in all – all newly mastered, with many titles on CD for the first time ever! CD

Great acoustic blues from the legendary Scrapper Blackwell – easily one of the greatest musical talents to ever come out of the Indy scene! The recordings here are early, but already represent a pinnacle of blues achievement – a pushing forward of the use of the guitar in the music to new heights – thanks to Blackwell's well-crafted solos! Tunes include titles done both under his name, and featuring Scrapper with other artists – and tracks include "Kokomo Blues", "Down South Blues", "Penal Farm Blues", and "Trouble Blues (parts 1 & 2)" by Blackwell – plus "Good Woman Blues" with Leroy Carr, "Down In Black Bottom" with Black Bottom McPhail, and "Pack Up Her Trunk Blues" with Tommie Bradley. CD

A fantastic presentation of all that's wonderful with the mighty Daptone label – one of the hippest, funkiest record companies of the past few decades – the company that gave the world Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, and other great artists – all of whom are heard here in an extended length live set! The package documents three nights of music at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem – home to famous live shows by James Brown – whose tight way of presenting a variety of singers is replicated here – as Daptone cycle through some of their hippest acts in the lead, offering up a few songs by each – while the mighty Dap Kings provide all the backing! There's a huge amount of songs by both Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley – plus more by Budos Band, Antibalas, Menahan Street Band, Como Mamas, Sugarman 3, Saun & Starr, and Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens – then everybody comes together to perform a version of "Family Affair" at the end! Binky Griptite acts as the MC for the evening – and the whole thing has a rock-solid sound that's every bit the best that Daptone can offer. LP, Vinyl record album

Eddie continues the funky groove begun on Instant Funk, and smoothed out over albums like I Need Some Money – and although jazz fans probably gave him hell for going this way, we think this is actually a pretty darn great album! The record takes all of Eddie's experimentation with groovy styles from the early 70s, and filters it through some tighter playing that actually makes the groove a lot more compelling than before. A number of the tracks have vocals, almost in a humorous Bill Cosby mode – but in a way that also preserves the party feel of the cuts. Players include Bobby Lyle, Paul Humphrey, Buck Clarke, and Bradley Bobo – and one Chicago-recorded track features a great assortment from older years that includes Muhal Abrams, Odell Brown, Marshapp Thompson, Willie Henderson, and Richard Evans. Titles include "Tryin Ain't Dyin", "Ooh", "Exempt", "Live Again", "Flowers", "Why Do You Hurt Me", and "It's All Right Now". LP, Vinyl record album