Aptly titled collection of many of Winston Rodney's finest moments from the mid 70s. Collected from the Marcus Garvey, Man In The Hills, Dry & Heavy, Live and Social Living sets, you know these are some mighty, mighty roots tracks. 11 tracks, all essential : "Marcus Garvey", "Dry & Heavy", "Throw Down Your Arms", "Social Living", "The Invasion", "Black Wa Da Da", "Slavery Days", "Old Marcus Garvey", "Man In The Hills", "The Sun" and "Civilized Reggae". CD

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Part of a key run of records from Burning Spear – sets that really helped to bring the roots reggae vibe to a huge international audience – and at a level that still kept the message in the music firmly intact! The "hills" in the title is maybe a great hint at the vibe going on here – as there's a more laidback, almost more personal approach than on the Marcus Garvey set – still production by Jack Ruby/Lawrence Lindo, but slightly more easygoing rhythms that sometimes hang there in air, and let the vocals really flow – hanging back one minute, flowing forth the next, all with this sublime approach on cuts that include "No More War", "People Get Ready", "Children", "Mother", "Groovy", and "Black Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from Burning Spear – and one of those key 70s sets that helped the roots underground of Jamaica really find a wider audience around the globe – yet all without sounding too commercial at all! This isn't crossover pop reggae – but instead some well-crafted, message-oriented music that makes the best use of the Island Records placement of the set to deliver a righteous vibe with top-shelf presentation! Winston Rodney shines as a singer, writer, and co-producer – on titles that include "Marcus Children Suffer", "Social Living", "Nayah Keith", "Institution", "Marcus Senior", "Civilized Reggae", "Mister Garvey", "Come", and "Marcus Say Jah No Dead". 2LP set also features the Living Dub album – a fantastic dub reworking of the album Social Living – issued a year after the first – which is maybe the time it took to come up with all the cool creative takes on the tunes! The set got much less circulation at the time than the vocal one – and it really shows Winston Rodney opening up a bag of tricks in the studio – really transforming the core tunes on the album with all sorts of cool twists and turns! Titles include "Children Of Today", "Present", "Associate", "Jah Boto", "In Those Days", "Irie Niya Keith", "Help Us", "Musiya", and "All Over". LP, Vinyl record album

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Probably the last of the classic Burning Spear LPs, this still finds Rodney singing in a solo format, and has a bit of a change up from the Black Disciples lineup that had backed him on the previous Island LPs. It's co produced by Aston Family Man Barrett, and the rhythms are a bit denser, while Spear continues to lay down his righteous roots message. Includes "Columbus", "Cry Blood Africa", "Follow Marcus Garvey" and "African Teacher". LP, Vinyl record album

A righteous classic from Burning Spear – not the first album from Winston Rodney, but the one that really pushed his music and message over the top – thanks to big global exposure from Island Records! The album began as an indie set in Jamaica, where producer Lawrence Lindo really helped find a special sort of magic in the studio for Rodney's vocals and politically-themed lyrics – and Island remixed the whole set upon wider release, a fact that some have argued about over the years – but with results that made the record one of THE standout classics from the roots reggae generation. There's plenty of top-shelf talent in the lineup – including Earl Chinna Smith on lead guitar – and the titles of the tracks almost read like a manifesto for social change, and include "Slavery Days", "Marcus Garvey", "Jordan River", "Red Gold & Green", "Live Good", and "The Invasion". LP, Vinyl record album

Blistering! From an era before the machines ruled the Kingston studios, when reggae artists still put together formidable live sets, this late 70s LP from Winston Rodney features mightily rocking renditions of some of his best material! Don't get us wrong, we get down with the digital sound too, but these golden era recordings bring an entirely different kind of heaviness to bear on roots tracks. 7 essential numbers: "Marcus Garvey", "Slavery Days", "Black Soul", "Lion", "Old Marcus", "Man In The Hills" and "Throw Down Your Arms". LP, Vinyl record album

Jamaican issue of the LP that would be issued later as Social Living – Winston Rodney's greatest work, and considering the volume of tremendous roots sides he dropped over the years, that's saying a lot! This mighty, mighty side followed the heavy Man In The Hills and Dry & Heavy LPs, and continues with the same conscious rootical vibe and unstoppable rhythms that Rodney'd established as his stock in trade with those classic LPs. 9 tracks including "Marcus Children Suffer", "Social Living", Nyah Keith", "Institution", "Marcus Senior", "Civilize Reggae", "Mister Garvey", "Come" and "Marcus Say Jah No Dead". LP, Vinyl record album

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A seminal early effort from Winston Rodney, aka Burning Spear. Rodney would soon move on and begin working with Jack Ruby and later producing himself, but these early sides cut under the guidance of Coxsone Dodd have a remarkable urgency and deep, heavy vibe that was matched by few other artists during that era. Twelve tracks in all, including "Foggy Road", "Swell Headed", "Bad To Worst", "Rocking Time", "Weeping And Wailing" and "What A Happy Day". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums as a leader by Chicago Soul genius Richard Evans – a key late 70s effort that perfectly sums up all his genius on record for countless other artists! The album's got a warm, smooth groove that's totally great – one that builds tremendously from the sophisticated soul advances on the Chicago scene of the 70s – and which features bits of jazz, soul, and even Brazilian influences gliding wonderfully through the mix! There's a sense of pride, power, and confidence here that graces every single number – and in a way, the album's almost like a Quincy Jones effort from the same stretch – with Evans' showcasing a new side of his talents, and his collaborators, on every different number. Linda Williams sings vocals on the groovy "Capricorn Rising", Eddie Harris plays on "Do Re Me For Soul", Billy Durham sings on "Windy City", Tower Of Power guest on "Educated Funk", and the group offers up a remake of Evans' Soulful Strings classic "Burning Spear". CD

A bold statement from the Kashmere Stage Band – who've definitely got their own "thing" here right from the start – one of the coolest, grooviest, funkiest sounds you'll ever hear from a band of young kids in school! These guys easily match the hippest players in much more mature ensembles – and often even have a vibe that sounds a lot like the best blacksploitation funk of the time, or some of the funky big band work from overseas – driven on by a really strong sense of rhythm, and marked with some wonderful solos on tenor, trumpet, alto sax, and piano – plus great guitar from Johnny Reason! Titles include great remakes of "Burning Spear" and "Ode To Billie Joe" – plus "Boss City", "Take Five", "Summertime", and "Misty". LP, Vinyl record album

Brillant work from the Salsoul Orchestra – some of their most sophisticated work ever, and right in line with a soulful orchestral style that runs back through the work of Barry White into the early experiments of the Soulful Strings! The album marks a shift for the group – now led by the mighty Tom Moulton, after the departure of Vince Montana – a new force who really takes the group in some great directions, and stretches out the tunes here even more than before – which makes for a lot more musical complexity as well! Thor Baldursson helps out on some of the arrangements, and the pair really work magic with the tight Philly lineup of the group – soaring out on great versions of two massive Richard Evans groovers – "Zambesi" and "Burning Spear", both killers that were originally performed by the Soulful Strings – plus the original numbers "212 North 12th", "Street Sense", and "Sun After The Rain". CD features bonus tracks – "Somebody To Love (single)", "Street Sense (single)", "Sun After The Rain (12" disco)", and "Sun After The Rain (12" inst)". CD

Quite possibly the best album ever from this fantastic funky combo! The band grooves hard and funky – with incredible drum work from Paul Stubblefield, tasty guitar from Walter Winston, and some famous funky flute and sax work from Gus Hawkins. Tracks on the album are rough and raw – with plenty of breakbeats, and some very tasty funky basslines that work perfectly with their choppy instrumental groove. A few tracks have vocals, but even those boast a real strength in the instrumental department – and very nicely keep up with the rest of the material. Titles include "Down In The Ghetto", "Burning Spear", "Express Yourself", "Soul", "Memphis Underground", and "Message From A Black Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Grateful Dead covers from Los Lobos, Bruce Hornsby, the Harshed Mellows, Elvis Costello, Suzanne Vega, Dwight Yoakam, Indigo Girls, Warren Zevon, the Cowboy Junkies, Burning Spear, more. CD

A great collection of work from the glory days of the Island Records reggae scene! The set includes "Macka Splaff (live)" by Steel Pulse, "Roots Man" by Zap Pow, "One Big Happy Family" by Inner Circle, "Jah Is No Secret" by I Jah Man, "No Difference Here" by Toots & The Maytalls, "Social Living" by Burning Spear, and "Exodus" by Bob Marley. LP, Vinyl record album

The great soundtrack to Rockers – an important film from the Jamaican scene of the 70s, and one that offered up some really fantastic footage right from the streets of Kingston! The film was issued after the big fame of The Harder They Come – and while it never reached the heights of the Jimmy Cliff classic, it's maybe even more interesting overall – a lot less polished, in a way that also comes through in the music – which echoes the nature of the film with some of the sense of accident and collaboration that characterized the ever-fervent scene of the time. Titles include "We A Rockers" by Inner Circle, "Money Worries" by The Maytones, "Police & Thieves" by Junior Murvin, "Book Of Rules" by The Heptones, "Stepping Razor" by Peter Tosh, "Tenement Yard" by Jacob Miller, "Fade Away" by Junior Byles, "Rockers" by Bunny Wailer, "Slave Master" by Gregory Isaacs, "Dread Lion" by The Upsetters, "Graduation In Zion" by Kiddus I, "Jah No Dead" by Burning Spear, "Satta Massagana" by Third World, and "Natty Take Over" by Justin Hinds & The Dominos. LP, Vinyl record album

Soul Jazz gets the royal treatment, or should we say gives us the royal treatment! The royal court is in session with a fine, fine batch of today's sound today, another regal dip into the Studio One vaults, showcasing the top male vocal stars in Coxsone Dodd's stable! The set includes both classic cuts and some well chosen lesser known nuggets, and as you now know (or are about to find out) the Soul Jazz selectors pull together a compilation fit for a king! 17 numbers in all, including "I've Got To Make It" by Larry Marshall, "Every Tongue Shall Tell" by Horace Andy, "Well Run Dry" by Alton Ellis, 'Water More Than Flour" by Johnny Osbourne, "I Am The Ruler" by Anthony Rocky Ellis, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by Cornell Campbell, "Please Be True" by Alexander Henry, "Them A Come" by Burning Spear, "Change Of Plan" by Joe Higgs, "Roots Natty" by Devon Russell, "Be Yourself" by Ken Boothe, "I Shall Be Released" by Freddie McGregor, "Father Will Cut You Off" by Freddie McKay, "Locust" by the Ethiopian, "One, One" by George Philip, "I Don't Want To See You Cry" by John Holt and "Won't You Come Home" by Delroy Wilson. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic package that finally gives these recordings their proper due – one that takes the cuts that were issued on the albums Iron Man and Conversations (plus a million cheapo packages over the years) – and restores them to their original mono, right from the tapes – then adds in 85 more minutes of never issued material! The tracks here are a perfect balance of Dolphy in his final year – with some spiritual jazz currents, but still a strong sense of swing – with a fantastic lineup that includes Prince Lasha on flute, Sonny Simmons on alto, Clifford Jordan on soprano, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Richard Davis on bass, and both JC Moses and Charles Moffett on drums – almost a who's-who of people who would go onto shape the face of jazz in years to come. Titles include "A Personal Statement", "Ode To Charlie Parker", "Iron Man", "Come Sunday", "Burning Spear", "Muses For Richard Davis", "Alone Together", "Love Me", and "Jitterbug Waltz" – plus a number of other different versions of tunes. 3CD set comes with a 100 page booklet – featuring photos, essays, and interviews with Sonny Simmons, Sonny Rollins, Nicole Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, and David Murray. CD

A decent collection of some of the bigger tunes from the Island catalog of the 70s – including "Marcus Garvey" by Burning Spear, "Country Boy" by The Heptones, "Knockin On Heaven's Door" by Arthur Louis, "I Don't Know Why I Love You" by Desi Young, "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown" by Augustus Pablo, "Run Come Sharp" by The Pacemakers, and "Skank In Bed" by Scotty & Lorna Bennett. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Eric Dolphy – one of his most perfectly realized moments at the head of a larger ensemble – and a record that definitely set the tone for countless spiritual jazz sessions of the 70s! Dolphy recorded this session for Alan Douglas in 1962, and it features a larger array of players than you'll find on most of his records for other labels – the cream of the "new thing" players that were around New York at the time, including Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Prince Lasha on flute, Sonny Simmons on alto, and even Clifford Jordan on soprano sax – making a rare appearance on record on that instrument! Together, the players create a set of soundscapes that lies somewhere between Dolphy's Out To Lunch album, and some of the more modernist work by Mingus – a stunning batch of tracks that go out, but never too far. Titles include "Ode to CP", "Burning Spear", "Iron Man", and "Mandrake". CD

A seminal set from Eric Dolphy – one of his most perfectly realized moments at the head of a larger ensemble – and a record that definitely set the tone for countless spiritual jazz sessions of the 70s! Dolphy recorded this session for Alan Douglas in 1962, and it features a larger array of players than you'll find on most of his records for other labels – the cream of the "new thing" players that were around New York at the time, including Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Prince Lasha on flute, Sonny Simmons on alto, and even Clifford Jordan on soprano sax – making a rare appearance on record on that instrument! Together, the players create a set of soundscapes that lies somewhere between Dolphy's Out To Lunch album, and some of the more modernist work by Mingus – a stunning batch of tracks that go out, but never too far. Titles include "Ode to CP", "Burning Spear", "Iron Man", and "Mandrake". CD

A fantastic package that finally gives these recordings their proper due – one that takes the cuts that were issued on the albums Iron Man and Conversations (plus a million cheapo packages over the years) – and restores them to their original mono, right from the tapes – then adds in 85 more minutes of never issued material! The tracks here are a perfect balance of Dolphy in his final year – with some spiritual jazz currents, but still a strong sense of swing – with a fantastic lineup that includes Prince Lasha on flute, Sonny Simmons on alto, Clifford Jordan on soprano, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Richard Davis on bass, and both JC Moses and Charles Moffett on drums – almost a who's-who of people who would go onto shape the face of jazz in years to come. Titles include "A Personal Statement", "Ode To Charlie Parker", "Iron Man", "Come Sunday", "Burning Spear", "Muses For Richard Davis", "Alone Together", "Love Me", and "Jitterbug Waltz" – plus a number of other different versions of tunes. 3CD set comes with a 100 page booklet – featuring photos, essays, and interviews with Sonny Simmons, Sonny Rollins, Nicole Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, and David Murray. CD

A massive exploration of the music of Kashmere Stage Band – the legendary Texas funk combo whose work barely got any circulation at the time – but who've become minor stars, thanks to the efforts of Stones Throw and Wax Poetics! The set goes even deeper than any of the previous vinyl reissues of work by the group – and features some previously unreleased tracks, and alternate takes on their funkiest numbers! The Kashmere groove is incredible – blasting horns, scratchy guitars, and funky drums – all wrapped super-tight around a range of original material and some more familiar numbers – all recast here in super-heavy funk mode! Titles include "All Praises", "Thank You", "Scorpio (extended)", "Headwiggle", "Do You Dig It Man", "Getting It Out Of My System", "Zero Point (parts 1 & 2)", "Boss City", "Burning Spear", "Take Five", and "Keep Doing It". This expanded deluxe edition includes a bonus DVD featuring the short films Texas Jewels: The Making of Texas Thunder Soul and Prof and his Band: A Documentary by Charles Porter from 1973 – plus a performance by the Kashmere Stage Band on the 1972 special Jazz: Yesterday, Today, Forever. Also includes updated liner notes in a full color 40 page booklet. CD

Vibes, strings, keyboards, and vocals – the heavenly sound of the Salsoul Orchestra, one of the greatest disco outfits of the 70s! At the time, the group were ubiquitous on the dancefloor scene – but the amazing thing to our ears is how great these tunes still sound after all these years – still tight, right, and funky at the best places – gliding along with a sound that's classy yet soulful at the same time. The group were the brainchild of Philly soul maestro Vince Montana – who'd cut his teeth in the Sigma scene for years, and stepped out in the mid 70s with this fully-formed vision of a larger disco orchestra – one that countless others tried to copy, but could never catch the groove as well as Montana. Salsoul Orchestra's genius is beautifully summed up in this lavish set – a better collection than any we've seen on the group, and packaged with 27 tracks on 2CDs – including some hard to find mixes and a great set of notes! Titles include "Chicago Bus Stop", "Salsoul Hustle (previously unissued Tom Moulton mix)", "Nice N Naasty", "Staying Alive", "It's A New Day", "Magic Bird Of Fire", "Runaway", "Standing & Waiting On Love", "Salsoul Rainbow", "Sun After The Rain (Tom Moulton 12" mix)", "212 N 12th", "Burning Spear", "Somebody To Love", "Take Some Time Out For Love (orig 12" mix)", "Ooh I Love It (Shep Pettibone 12" mix)", "Seconds (12" mix)", and "Resorts International". CD

Seminal instrumental groovers from the Chicago Chi-soul scene! This great group was led by Chess/Cadet soul arranger Richard Evans, and it featured many of the instrumentalists who made Chess records so great – like Cleveland Eaton, Charles Stepney, Morris Jennings, and Phil Upchurch. The tracks have a nice lilting bass-heavy groove – and the set list includes the seminal Chicago classic "Burning Spear", plus "Soul Prelude", "Alfie", "All Blues", and "Within You Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks from Gregory Isaacs, Black Uhuru, Sly & Robbie, and Burning Spear – remixed by Cottonbelly, Thievery Corporation, Sub Dub, Fila Brazillia, Smith & Mighty, Skull Valley, Kid Loops, and Kruder & Dorfmeister. CD

The great soundtrack to Rockers – an important film from the Jamaican scene of the 70s, and one that offered up some really fantastic footage right from the streets of Kingston! The film was issued after the big fame of The Harder They Come – and while it never reached the heights of the Jimmy Cliff classic, it's maybe even more interesting overall – a lot less polished, in a way that also comes through in the music – which echoes the nature of the film with some of the sense of accident and collaboration that characterized the ever-fervent scene of the time. Titles include "We A Rockers" by Inner Circle, "Money Worries" by The Maytones, "Police & Thieves" by Junior Murvin, "Book Of Rules" by The Heptones, "Stepping Razor" by Peter Tosh, "Tenement Yard" by Jacob Miller, "Fade Away" by Junior Byles, "Rockers" by Bunny Wailer, "Slave Master" by Gregory Isaacs, "Dread Lion" by The Upsetters, "Graduation In Zion" by Kiddus I, "Jah No Dead" by Burning Spear, "Satta Massagana" by Third World, and "Natty Take Over" by Justin Hinds & The Dominos. CD

A massive exploration of the music of Kashmere Stage Band – the legendary Texas funk combo whose work barely got any circulation at the time – but who've become minor stars, thanks to the efforts of Stones Throw and Wax Poetics! The set goes even deeper than any of the previous vinyl reissues of work by the group – and features some previously unreleased tracks, and alternate takes on their funkiest numbers! The Kashmere groove is incredible – blasting horns, scratchy guitars, and funky drums – all wrapped super-tight around a range of original material and some more familiar numbers – all recast here in super-heavy funk mode! Titles include "All Praises", "Thank You", "Scorpio (extended)", "Headwiggle", "Do You Dig It Man", "Getting It Out Of My System", "Zero Point (parts 1 & 2)", "Boss City", "Burning Spear", "Take Five", and "Keep Doing It". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the funkiest record ever made by guitarist Joe Pass – a real surprise from an artist we mostly know for his mellower and straight ahead work! The style here is tight electric funk, almost in a Groove Merchant sort of way – and given Joe's heavy use of hollow-body guitar on the record, and the warm chromatic hues in his tone, the style's a fair bit like O'Donel Levy on his 70s classics from the same era. Bassist Carol Kaye had a hand in putting together the record, and there's a similar feel here to her own best grooves – tight, studio-oriented work – but never slick or too commercial! Other players include Joe Sample on keyboards, Paul Humphrey on drums, Tom Scott on sax and flute, and JJ Johnson on trombone – and despite the presence of these heavyweights, the record has a nicely soulful sound that's more indie grit than major label funk! CD adds some bonus tracks to the original record – and features 18 titles that include "Free Sample", "Better Days", "Head Start", "It's Too Late", "Gotcha", "Alison", "The Preacher", "Bass Blues", "Burning Spear", "Slick Cat", "Flying Down To Baja", and "Love Is". LP, Vinyl record album