A British take on the Brill Building sound of the 60s – 27 tracks from the vaults of Sanctuary Records, most of them vocal numbers from England, featuring famous tunes by Phil Spector and writers from the Brill Building scene, re-done by British artists! The feel is pretty great all the way through – not as "full on" as you might expect from Spector's own "wall of sound" production style, but that also makes for a nice change from the original versions of the songs. Many numbers lie in a territory somewhere between uptown and blue-eyed soul – with sweet arrangements and sweeping instrumentation – and titles include "I'm Counting On You" by Petula Clark, "Some Kinda Wonderful" by Johnny Sandon, "First Taste Of Love" by The Migil 5, "Spanish Harlem" by Jimmy Justice, "Here She Comes" by The Breakaways, "I'll Take You Where The Music's Playing" by Pat Lynch, "Goin Back" by Jackie Trent, "River Deep Mountain High" by Long John Baldry, and "Da Doo Ron Ron" by The Searchers. CD

Music from April Stevens, Sue Thompson, Marcie Blane, Judy Scott, Debbie Dovale, Linda Lloyd, Susan Singer, Maureen Scott, Maureen Evans, Carole Deene, Susan Maughan, Barbara Chandler, Michelle Scotti, Kathy Linden, Jackie Shannon, Susan Christie, Helen Shapiro, Hayley Mills, Shepherd Sisters, The Percells, The Castle Sisters, and Gonnie Barrs – 22 tracks in all. CD

An incredible record, and one that seems to open up a whole new voice for an instrument in jazz – as reedman Ville Lahteenmaki blows bass clarinet in a trio setting – a mode that has been used often with tenor over the years, since Sonny Rollins first inspired the approach – yet one that's very different here with a bass clarinet! If anything, Ville brings a vibrancy to the instrument we're not sure we've ever heard before – blowing it with all the intensity of a saxophonist pushing their limits, and not the sometimes-cooler modes that you usually hear from a bass clarinet – as he really stretches out, and hits almost ESP-like solos alongside the bass of Nicolas Leirto and drums of Trym Sauigstad Karlsen. The record is tremendous – like finding a lost room in the castle of jazz – and titles include "Mare Incognitum", "Best Wishes", "Calling Alice", and "Shakti". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A real killer from the legendary Joe Bataan – an album of righteous power that really lives up to the dynamic promise of the title and cover! Joe Bataan's in top form throughout – serving up a blend of Latin grooves and 60s soul influences that few other artists of the time could touch – soaring and upbeat one minute, but mellow and laidback the next. There's a number of longer tracks on here that really move past the standard Latin Soul modes – bringing in bits of descarga jazz, instrumental soul, and mellower ballads to Joe's already-great blend of styles. The depth here is tremendous, and nearly every track's a winner! Titles include the slamming "It's A Good Feeling (Riot)", "Muneca", and "Mambo De Bataan" – plus the soul tracks "What Good Is A Castle", "My Cloud", "Daddy's Coming Home", "Ordinary Guy", and "For Your Love". CD

A legendary soundtrack from the key years of British gothic horror – music for a film that was creepy enough on its own, but which really got sent over the top with the sounds provided by composer Paul Ferris! Ferris was working with the De Wolfe sound library at the time, but the music is far from just canned cuts thrown into the film – as there's an overall sinister vibe that really fits the spooky narrative of the story, and the super-creepy role of Vincent Price in the lead – augmented by the music with all these dark, downturning touches that are still pretty terrifying, even without the images on the screen. Titles include "Not Selling", "Reunited", "Accused", "The Castle Dungeon", "The Moat", "Stearne Attacks Sara", "Captain Gordon Is That You", "Nearly Home", "A Ride In The Dark", and "Hanging From The Tree". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff! Although the Four Tops are always best known as a Motown group – they actually did some really wonderful work for ABC Records in the mid 70s – a time that had the group really stretching out in their style, finding some great new sounds that really kept them alive, and in the forefront of the soul group scene. Production on many numbers is by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter – usually working with Steve Barri – and the set's an excellent introduction to these overlooked years. Titles include "Are You Man Enough", the great theme to Shaft In Africa – plus other nice ones like "Keep Of The Castle", "Sweet Understanding Love", "Midnight Flower", "Strung Out For Your Love", "One Chain Don't Make No Prison", "Am I My Brother's Keeper", "You'll Never Find A Better Man", and "Catfish". CD

A great collection of work from their years at ABC – post-Motown, but still really great – with tracks that include "Are You Man Enough", "We All Gotta Stick Together", "Keeper Of The Castle", "Catfish", "Seven Lonely Nights", "Ain't No Woman Like The One I Got", and "Sweet Understanding Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Cool is one thing that Eddie Henderson always is – as his sense of tone and timing just seem to get better and better as the years go on – and that's saying a lot, given that Eddie's legacy goes way back to the 70s! And although he did plenty of fusion and soul experiments in his youth, the later decades have always had Henderson moving into a role more as a classic stylist on the trumpet – one who seems to always set a new bar for his playing as time passes by – to a point where anyone would be daft not to call Eddie one of the more important voices on his instrument in the past 30 years. That sense of cool is definitely in place here, as is Henderson's subtle swing, even on the ballads – as Eddie works in a tight quintet with Donald Harrison on alto, Kenny Barron on piano, Essiet Essiet on bass, and Mike Clark on drums – on titles that include "Fran Dance", "Loft Funk", "Nightride", "The Sand Castle Head Hunter", "Naima", "Smoke Screen", "Bee Cool", and "Moontrane". CD

The Jimi Hendrix Experience at their most classic! Tripped out bluesy cosmic rock ferocity and great songs, too – firing on all cylinders here on the middle record of their ultra epic three LP series of unimpeachable greatness. Titles include "EXP", "Up From The Skies", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Castles Made Of Sand", "She's So Fine", "One Rainy Wish", "Bold As Love" and more. CD

A stunning second album from Love – a set that's still without the fuller orchestrations and baroque touches of Forever Changes – but which already shows the group moving in that direction! The rough, gritty edge of the group is very firmly intact – but they've already got a really fresh way of putting over a song – by complicating the rhythms a bit, going for unusual tonal colors, and furthering the really imaginative songwriting of Arthur Lee. Side one features some incredibly haunting shorter tunes that point the way towards Forever Changes – including the insanely wonderful "She Comes In Colors", the Latin-tinged "Que Vida", and the cuts "Stephanie Knows Who", "The Castle", and "Seven & Seven Is". Side two is a total freak-out – an 18 minute bluesy guitar jam, very over the top stuff – and quite unusual in length for a rock album in 1966! LP, Vinyl record album

If there's one thing you can say about Ennio Morricone, he always brings his best to a project – even if that project is kind of a cheapo 80s swords and sorcery tale starring Arnold Shwarzenegger! The music here is maybe a bit more dramatic and action-based than some Morricone scores – but in a way, it's as if the whole project is Ennio tipping his hat to the soundtrack styles of the blood and sandals generation on the Italian scene in the years before he first rose to fame. The maestro really tops that mode with fantastic work here – including some nicely dramatic choral voices that really send things over the top – and titles include "Temple Raid", "Sonja And The Sword Master", "The Gate Of Brytag", "The Chamber Of Lights", "Sonja Teaches Tarn", "Entering The Castle", and "Sonja Defeats The Queen". CD

Soaring sounds from Nucleus – one of the few UK jazz/rock combos from the start of the 70s who really found a way to keep growing and changing as the years moved on! Here, the lineup is nice and large – the mighty trumpet of Ian Carr in the lead, next to keyboards from both Gordon Beck and Geoff Castle, both of whom bring plenty of Fender Rhodes into play – with more work from Jocelyn Pitchen and Ken Shaw on guitars, and Bob Bertles on alto, baritone, bass clarinet, and flute – really great reedwork that's always a great match for Carr's energy. There's some really great drums on the set from Bryan Spring, which make the best tracks quite funky – and titles include "In Procession", "The Addison Trip", "Pastoral Graffiti", "New Life", and "A Taste Of Sasparilla". LP, Vinyl record album

Badass organ funk from the mighty Leon Spencer – a set that's got a bit of a fuller feel than some of his previous albums for Prestige – but a groove that's also equally great! The style here is somewhere between blacksploitation funk and some of the grooves from the CTI/Kudu camp – with a bit more horns than before on some of the titles, arranged tightly to provide a great foil for Leon's leaner lines on Hammond! Arrangements are by Ed Bogas on the fuller tracks, and players on the album include Hubert Laws on flute, Frank Wess on baritone, Victor Paz and Virgil Jones on trumpet, Joe Beck on guitar, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Grady Tate on drums. One track features Leon working in a smaller trio format – and titles include "Superstition", "Give Me Your Love", "The Price A Po Man's Got To Pay", "Where I'm Coming From", and "Trouble Man". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent early album from Japanese drummer Masahiko Togashi, featuring a group that he co-led with trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki! The quintet's got a sound that's kind of a messed-up take on the Blue Note groove of the 60s – particularly the Lee Morgan rolling funky soul jazz sound of the middle part of the decade – and the record's got a unique tip that we really like a lot! Basically, the band starts out with a hardbop groove – but then will roll into solo moments that, while not entirely out, have a strange off-beat quality that's really fresh. Tetsu Sushimi is on trumpet – part of a trumpet/trombone frontline that weaves together nicely, along with some great piano work, and strong rhythm from Togashi. Titles include "Castle Cats", "Suzu No Uta", "Passion", and "Variation". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice jammer from the "second wind" period of CTI – and a strong return to Latin jazz for Ray! The set's a great mixture of smooth CTI electric funk and Latin-oriented grooves – and it features work by Ray on congas and percussion, plus a list of players that includes Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri, Steve Gadd, John Tropea, Carlos Franzetti, and Willie Torres. The melds the styles beautifully – with plenty of languid, rubbery jamming with percussion that thumps just hard enough! Really kind of a stunner from '79 – one that came at welcome time for both Barretto and CTI! Includes the great electric Latin groover "Mambotango", plus "The Old Castle", "La Cuna", and a sublime vocal remake of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise"! CD

A wonderful record from a time when John Barry was really perfecting his craft – taking all that amazing sense of sound he learned over the course of many James Bond soundtracks, and turning it towards territory he never could have touched years before! The vibe here is completely different than Bond, but equally mesmerizing – as Barry uses strings and woodwinds with the care of an Italian maestro, then flavors things with just a slight touch of historical elements – yet never in a way that dims the 70s sophistication of the recording. There's a sonic balance here that's mindblowing, and very different than just songs thrown out for a historical film. Titles include "Journey To England", "Black Night", "Escape With Bothwell", "Vivre Et Mourir", "But Not Through My Realm", "Mary At Chartley", and "March To The Castle". CD brings in a stunning 39 bonus tracks – material from the film, cues, and more – all with superb sound! CD

A killer collection of Joe Bataan's Latin Soul work for Fania Records – all groundbreaking stuff recorded in the years before his bigger fame on Salsoul! The tunes are incredible – blending together sweet soul, Latin rhythms, and an occasional bit of funk – all served up by one of the most pointedly personal talents in both soul and Latin music! Joe really breaks our hearts on tunes like "What Good is a Castle", "Uptown", "My Opera", and "Special Girl" – but also grooves his way into our soul on the jammers "Puerto Rico Me Llama" and "Aguanta La Lengua". Other tracks include "Mambo De Bataan" and "Muneca". CD

3 incredible albums from the British jazz scene at the end of the 60s – all together in one 2CD package! Down Another Road is incredible work from one of England's greatest jazz talents – bassist Graham Collier, a player with an amazing ability to absorb a lot of the modern and progressive influences of his jazz generation – but all without succumbing to the same indulgences as them – a fact which resulted in a razor-sharp style that forged some of the freshest jazz ever to come out of the UK. This 1969 album is a masterpiece – filled with a modal groove and a strident searching theme, yet also as tight and grooving as most of the best Blue Note sessions from the same time. Harry Beckett's on trumpet, Nick Evans is on trombone, John Marshall plays drums, and Stan Sulzmann handles the reeds. Tracks include "Down Another Road", "Danish Blue", "The Barley Mow", and "Aberdeen Angus". Songs For My Father is a masterpiece of modernist soul jazz, with a sound that recalls the best late Blue Note work by Lee Morgan or Hank Mobley. Alan Wakeman's tenor is perfectly pitched, and searingly searching; Harry Beckett's trumpet is round, lyrical, and filled with soul; and the piano of John Taylor comps along in chunky modal grooves that make the whole album fall together brilliantly. Tracks include "Song One", "Song Two", "Song Three", etc – and they're all fantastic! Mosaics is a wonderfully searching session – filled with warm McCoy Tyner-esque modal moments, and searing post-Coltrane solos! The album comprises one long piece – Collier's "Mosaics" – performed live by a group that includes Alan Wakeman on tenor and soprano, Harry Beckett on trumpet, and Geoff Castle on piano. "Mosaics" has that amazing mid 60s Coltrane quality of going out in a spiritual kind of way – yet always returning to the groove, never getting too free, and always remaining firmly focused on the direction ahead. All players are great, and the record crackles with the intensity of a classic session on Impulse! CD

3 incredible albums from the British jazz scene at the end of the 60s – all together in one 2CD package! Down Another Road is incredible work from one of England's greatest jazz talents – bassist Graham Collier, a player with an amazing ability to absorb a lot of the modern and progressive influences of his jazz generation – but all without succumbing to the same indulgences as them – a fact which resulted in a razor-sharp style that forged some of the freshest jazz ever to come out of the UK. This 1969 album is a masterpiece – filled with a modal groove and a strident searching theme, yet also as tight and grooving as most of the best Blue Note sessions from the same time. Harry Beckett's on trumpet, Nick Evans is on trombone, John Marshall plays drums, and Stan Sulzmann handles the reeds. Tracks include "Down Another Road", "Danish Blue", "The Barley Mow", and "Aberdeen Angus". Songs For My Father is a masterpiece of modernist soul jazz, with a sound that recalls the best late Blue Note work by Lee Morgan or Hank Mobley. Alan Wakeman's tenor is perfectly pitched, and searingly searching; Harry Beckett's trumpet is round, lyrical, and filled with soul; and the piano of John Taylor comps along in chunky modal grooves that make the whole album fall together brilliantly. Tracks include "Song One", "Song Two", "Song Three", etc – and they're all fantastic! Mosaics is a wonderfully searching session – filled with warm McCoy Tyner-esque modal moments, and searing post-Coltrane solos! The album comprises one long piece – Collier's "Mosaics" – performed live by a group that includes Alan Wakeman on tenor and soprano, Harry Beckett on trumpet, and Geoff Castle on piano. "Mosaics" has that amazing mid 60s Coltrane quality of going out in a spiritual kind of way – yet always returning to the groove, never getting too free, and always remaining firmly focused on the direction ahead. All players are great, and the record crackles with the intensity of a classic session on Impulse! CD

A really fantastic album that's one of Eddie Harris' most unique albums of the 60s! The record features Eddie blowing in that lean and soulful mode that he used on his best Vee Jay albums – a bit exotic, but never meandering, with impeccable placement in all his solos, and a tone that's probably one of the most revolutionary he ever used. Some tracks have a backing chorus of female voices, singing in a floating mode that's hip and easy – and others are straighter jazz tunes, with a nice little groove. Features the modal gem "Hip Hoppin", plus "Stum Stang", "Django's Castle", "More Soul Than Soulful", and "Brother Ed". LP, Vinyl record album

Ok, so this isn't funky Eddie Harris – but the 2 albums on this set are some of Eddie Harris' most unique albums of the 60s! The records features Eddie blowing in that lean and soulful mode that he used on his best Vee Jay albums – a bit exotic, but never meandering, with impeccable placement in all his solos, and a tone that's probably one of the most revolutionary he ever used. Some tracks have a backing chorus of female voices, singing in a floating mode that's hip and easy – and others are straighter jazz tunes, with a nice little groove. Features the modal gem "Hip Hoppin", plus "Stum Stang", "Django's Castle", "More Soul Than Soulful", "Little Lo Lo", "Groovy Moovies", "Sarah's Theme", and "Brother Ed" – and even familiar tunes like "Topkapi", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Malamondo", and "From Russia With Love" sound pretty darn great! CD

A legendary set of live performances from Jimi Hendrix – both sets recorded in Maui in July of 1970, presented here officially for the first time ever – along with a bonus documentary on the performances too! The set is kind of the true counterpart to the botched Rainbow Bridge project – and features Jimi with Billy Cox on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums – really stepping out on some extended tracks that are filled with searing solos, and that undeniable charisma of Hendrix on stage – still wonderful, even near the end. Titles include "Hear My Train A Comin", "Fire", "Dolly Dagger", "Ezy Rider", "Message To Love", "Lover Man", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Purple Haze", "Red House", "Hey Baby/Midnight Lightning", "Straight Ahead", "Stone Free", "Jam Back At The House", and "Freedom". Also features a great DVD – with the documentary Music Money Madness – about the group's trip to Maui and the ill-fated Rainbow Bridge project – plus all of the existing 16mm footage of the two performances that day! LP, Vinyl record album

The Jimi Hendrix Experience at their most classic! Tripped out bluesy cosmic rock ferocity and great songs, too – firing on all cylinders here on the middle record of their ultra epic three LP series of unimpeachable greatness. Titles include "EXP", "Up From The Skies", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Castles Made Of Sand", "She's So Fine", "One Rainy Wish", "Bold As Love" and more. CD

A legendary performance from Jimi Hendrix – recorded at the second Atlanta Pop Festival just ten short weeks before Jimi's death, and a searing set throughout! The concert was the biggest that Hendrix ever played in the US – about 200,000 people in attendance – but the recording quality is very up-close and intimate, and very much in the same range as other important live performances by Jimi – making the set a key addition to his catalog! Tracks are nice and long, and filled with monstrous solos that really push past the studio versions – and Hendrix is in amazing form throughout, making us wonder what would have happened if he hadn't departed us all too soon. Titles include "Fire", "Lover Man", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Message To Love", "Room Full Of Mirrors", "Stone Free", "Voodoo Child", "Purple Haze", "Freedom", "All Along The Watchtower", "Hear My Train A Comin", and "Star Spangled Banner" – a nice touch, given that the set happened on July 4th, 1970! CD

Subtle brilliance from Japanese pianist Masaru Imada – a record that bubbles beautifully with some spare and personal touches – sometimes slightly free, sometimes wonderfully melodic – always with a strong sense of vision and energy! The group here features Imada on acoustic piano, alongside bass, drums, and some especially great tenor and soprano sax from Ichiro Mimori – often played with some slightly sharp edges, but also a surprising degree of soul – a heartfelt, personal quality that slides alongside Imada's piano in a soaring dance of colors and tones. Titles are all originals, and include "Nostalgia", "Alter", "Gehi Dorian", and "The Shadow Of The Castle". CD

The amazing debut of Kris Kristofferson as a singer – long overdue, given that his songs had been championed by others as some of the hippest in Nashville at the end of the 60s! Every track is a gem – and the record starts with the biting, decidedly non-country "Blame It On The Stones" – then rolls through classics that include "The Best Of All Possible Worlds", "To Beat The Devil", "The Law Is For The Protection Of The People", "For The Good Times", "Darby's Castle", and "Duvalier's Dream" – plus Kris' impeccable readings of "Me & Bobby McGee" and "Sunday Mornin Comin Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning second album from Love – a set that's still without the fuller orchestrations and baroque touches of Forever Changes – but which already shows the group moving in that direction! The rough, gritty edge of the group is very firmly intact – but they've already got a really fresh way of putting over a song – by complicating the rhythms a bit, going for unusual tonal colors, and furthering the really imaginative songwriting of Arthur Lee. Side one features some incredibly haunting shorter tunes that point the way towards Forever Changes – including the insanely wonderful "She Comes In Colors", the Latin-tinged "Que Vida", and the cuts "Stephanie Knows Who", "The Castle", and "Seven & Seven Is". Side two is a total freak-out – an 18 minute bluesy guitar jam, very over the top stuff – and quite unusual in length for a rock album in 1966! CD

Includes the songs "The Castle Perfect Trot", "Carolina Fox Trot", "Overture to "In Dahomey"", "Deep River: Old Negro Melody", "Sambo: A Characteristic Two Step March", "When the Band Plays Ragtime", "Castle House Rag", "Smyrna: A Turkish Serenade", "Ballin' the Jack/What It Takes to Make Me Love You–You've Got It", "Meno D'Amour", "Hey There! (Hi There!)", "The Tar Heel Blues Rag", "Congratulations ("the Castles' Lame Duck Waltz")", "Strut Miss Lizzie", "Panama: A Characteristic Novelty", "The Clef Club March", "Under the Bamboo Tree", "Cocoanut Grove Jazz",and "Swing Along!". CD

An album dedicated to the great Django Reinhardt – but one that also comes across with plenty of west coast touches too – just what you'd expect for the meeting of the young Joe Pass and the Pacific Jazz label! The format is somewhat Django-esque – with lead guitar work from Joe Pass, plus rhythm guitar support from John Pisano – creating some of the guitar interplay you'd have in a gypsy swing record – but the groove's also a bit more modern than some of Django's classics, and there's a lighter, breezier approach here that's very much in the mode of other Pass records from the 60s – at least the small group ones! The whole thing makes for a very unique set from Pass – with the quartet rounded out with Jim Hughart on bass and Colin Bailey on drums – on titles that include "Django", "For Django", "Fluer D'Ennui", "Django's Castle", and "Nuages". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest soundtracks of the 60s – presented here in a massive package that brings forth a wealth of never-reissued music! Piero Piccioni really hit his stride for the music to this film that was directed by its star – the effervescent Alberto Sordi – a fantastic send-up on the London scene of the time, set to a range of modly romping tunes! Piccioni handled the main music – often with loads of great piano and organ lines – but there's also some great vocal moments too, sung by Lydia MacDonald, Julie Rogers, and even Sordi – and the record also features a few touches from I Cantori Moderni, and a bit of music from Ennio Morricone too. Titles include the wonderful "Mr Dante Fontana", a nutty groover about the mod fashion scene in London – and it also features the famous tracks "Richmond Bridge" and "You Never Told Me". Titles include a few versions of "Fontana" and "Richmond", plus "Ascot Dream", "Magic Castle", "Tango Walk", "Drag Beat", "This Is Life", "Palace Parade March", "Babylon, I'm Coming", and "His Dream Has Come True". 3CD set features the full original album in both mono and stereo – plus 71 bonus tracks from the film score! CD

A cool collection of classic work from the Bethlehem Records label – and one that's got a very different vibe than usual! The set's part of the excellent Cafe Apres Midi series from Japan – and like other volumes in the series, there's a special focus on groovier, more upbeat numbers from Bethlehem – with an especially strong emphasis on the kinds of vocal tracks that made the label great! There's less late night and blue numbers here than there are the kind of sprightly tracks that really stand out in the catalog – and the set's got a massive 28 tracks in all, with over 80 minutes of music – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia" by Frank Minion, "Mountain Greenery" by Paula Castle, "My Romance" by Joe Derise, "Blue Turning Grey Over You" by Audrey Morris, "The Way You Look Tonight" by Mel Torme, "That Old Black Magic" by Bobby Troup, "Lullaby Of Birdland" by Chris Connor, "Let's Fall In Love" by Teal Joy, "How About You" by Terry Morel, "Old Devil Moon" by Bob Dorough, "Gone With The Wind" by Donna Brooks, "All Of Me" by Johnny Hartman, and "This Can't Be Love" by Pat Moran. CD

Music from The Castle-Tones, The Marylanders, The Teardrops, Lil Joe & The Thrillers, The Vocaltones, The Echoes, The Val-Chords, The Lasalles, Arthur Lee Maye, The Bell Notes, and more - 30 tracks in all. CD

A pretty great little collection, and one that's got maybe an even more sophisticated sound than you'd guess from the title! The jazz is all South African, but it's also not that earliest version that was still tied more to local instrumental pop modes – and instead really has the artists already taking off in soulful, sophisticated styles of their own – really changing things up in terms of rhythms and very advanced solo modes! Titles include "Gafsa" and "Eclipse At Dawn" by Dollar Brand, "Mabomvana" by John Mehegan, "Switch" by Chris McGregor & The Castle Lager Band, "Chopi Chopsticks" by Gideon Nxumalo, "Uku Jonga Phambili" by Jazz Epistles, and "Ngola Kurila" by Miriam Makeba. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Roky Erickson left our planet a few years back, but his music lives on in this really well-done tribute – a set that has a surprisingly great range of artists both old and young – all testifying to the power of Erickson's music in the 13th Floor Elevators and his many solo years! The set includes some nicely varied versions of Roky's classics – and titles include "For You I'd Do Anything" by Jeff Tweedy, "Levitation" by Billy F Gibbons, "Be & Bring Me Home" by Neko Case, "Night Of The Vampire" by Ty Segall, "Roller Coaster" by Gary Clark Jr & Eve Monsees, "Red Temple Prayer" by Margo Price, "Don't Fall Down" by The Black Angels, "Clear Night For Love" by Lynn Castle & Mark Lanegan, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Lucinda Williams, and "May The Circle Remain Unbroken" by Brogan Bentley. CD

A gal-themed set from the great Soft Sounds series – one that features some incredibly groovy work from the late 60s – a hip mix of Sunshine Pop, psyche rock, and more! The female vocals really tie the tunes together nicely – especially as a number of singers seem to share similar modes when approaching their music – echoes of earlier folk, touches of vocal jazz, and occasional sweet sounds that really flesh things out nicely. Most of the backings are groovy enough to almost be funk at points – especially when percussion kicks up, or basslines really get going – and there's also some freakishly fuzzy moments that really stand out too! As with other volumes, there's some great track-by-track notes on the tunes – and titles include "Psychedelic Movement" by The Ravelles, "Green Plant" by Amanda Ambrose, "The Aquarians" by The Aquarians, "If I Didn't Want To See You Anymore" by Morningstarr, "See The Farmer" by Bunches A Good, "The Lady Barber" by Lynn Castle, "What Do You Do When You've Lost Your Love" by Guardians Of The Rainbow, "Flowers In The Air" by Sally Eaton, "Billy Sunshine" by Sugar Townes, "All I Dream" by Estelle Levitt, "In The Middle Of The Night" by The Pipe Dream, and "Meditation 1968" by Ellen Margulies. CD

A sweet little set from the Baltimore Syndicate – a group we've only seen on this one late 80s session produced by pianist Makoto Kuriya, who works here in an excellent lineup that includes Alex Norris on trumpet, Steve Wilson on alto and soprano sax, Gary Thomas on tenor and flute, Dave Pellow on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums! There's a bold young lions feel to the record – and the recording quality is wonderful, done in that King Records/Paddle Wheel mode that sometimes made the Japanese label's sessions of the time some of the few that really preserved the best energy on the American scene. Both Wilson and Thomas are wonderful, and have sharp edges and a nice sense of depth that really makes the record great – on Kuriya compositions that include "Triclinium Suite", "A Colored Fluctuation", "Siamese Floating Castle", and "Horizon Of West Virginia". CD