A really fantastic record, and one with a very unusual pedigree – as it was originally produced by Rita Marley, who issued the whole thing on her own label – even though the set is way more 70s soul than reggae in style! The group are tremendous, and have this way of mixing fantastic vocal interplay with these jazzy changes in the instrumentation – clearly inspired by the best Earth Wind & Fire work of the mid 70s, but taken into leaner territory too – yet all without losing any of the warmth you'd get from a larger group too! The set is right up there with the best modern soul of the time – and is ripe for rediscovery, with titles that include "Missing You", "Don't Play With Sparks", "Let's Hold On", "They'll Never Let My Heart Stop", "All Out Of Breath", "Hands Off", "I Want You Here With Me", and "A Song For The Children". CD

A really fantastic record, and one with a very unusual pedigree – as it was originally produced by Rita Marley, who issued the whole thing on her own label – even though the set is way more 70s soul than reggae in style! The group are tremendous, and have this way of mixing fantastic vocal interplay with these jazzy changes in the instrumentation – clearly inspired by the best Earth Wind & Fire work of the mid 70s, but taken into leaner territory too – yet all without losing any of the warmth you'd get from a larger group too! The set is right up there with the best modern soul of the time – and is ripe for rediscovery, with titles that include "Missing You", "Don't Play With Sparks", "Let's Hold On", "They'll Never Let My Heart Stop", "All Out Of Breath", "Hands Off", "I Want You Here With Me", and "A Song For The Children". LP, Vinyl record album

Former Talking Heads member's third album – featuring Adrian Belew, Bernie Worrell, Chris Spedding, and many more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The Six Teens were a pretty unique group in 50s R&B – a sextet of singers that was half gals, half guys – and who did a really great job of shifting back and forth between both genders! Unlike pop groups of this nature, who could often sound way too sweet in a blend of male and female voices, the Six Teens have this raw, romping quality that's not only up there with the best doo wop groups of the period – but which also is one of the first times that female harmonies got such strong placement in the pre-soul years! And while the leads are usually sung by the ladies, the songs also have a great sonic range that comes from the participation of the male singers, too – a quality that's much moodier than you'd guess from any group that has "teen" in their name. CD features rare singles for the Flip label, mostly from the late 50s – and tracks include "Only Jim", "Afar Into The Night", "A Casual Look", "Teenage Promise", "Baby O", "So Happy", "That Wonderful Secret Of Love", "Suddenly In Love", "Oh It's Crazy", and "Arrow Of Love". CD

The Six Teens were a pretty unique group in 50s R&B – a sextet of singers that was half gals, half guys – and who did a really great job of shifting back and forth between both genders! Unlike pop groups of this nature, who could often sound way too sweet in a blend of male and female voices, the Six Teens have this raw, romping quality that's not only up there with the best doo wop groups of the period – but which also is one of the first times that female harmonies got such strong placement in the pre-soul years! And while the leads are usually sung by the ladies, the songs also have a great sonic range that comes from the participation of the male singers, too – a quality that's much moodier than you'd guess from any group that has "teen" in their name. CD features rare singles for the Flip label, mostly from the late 50s – and tracks include "Only Jim", "Afar Into The Night", "A Casual Look", "Teenage Promise", "Baby O", "So Happy", "That Wonderful Secret Of Love", "Suddenly In Love", "Oh It's Crazy", and "Arrow Of Love". CD

Tight hip hop from the superhero team of Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric – mostly produced by 7L, with a most welcome guest producer in the legendary DJ Premier – and it's a strong statement from the underappreciated Wu Tang gamer and the ever-creative DJ 7L! On the production tip, 7L pays homage to classic Wu without copying it – and utilizing both classic and completely leftfield samples in a fresh, funky way. The rhymes by Deck and Eso are top shelf, too – with a guest list that includes Roc Marciano, Oh No, Ghostface and others. Includes "Air 'Em Out", "Cement 3's" feat Roc Marciano, "Czar Refaeli" feat Oh No, "Rock Beat", "Savagely Attacked" feat Ghostface Killah, "Marvel Team-Up", "It's Raw" feat Action Bronson, "Let It Off", "Word War 4", "Poisonous Thoughts" feat Mr. Mfn Exquire, "Shoguns" feat Cappadonna & Vinnie Paz, "Hazmat Rap" and the DJ Premier-produced "Let It Off". LP, Vinyl record album

Ellington in Paris – a great lost live recording from the late 50s, issued as one of the treasures to come out later on Pablo Records! There's a nice edge to the recording – more so than some of the more polished Ellington live dates of the time – partly because of the recording quality – which is crisp and clear, but maybe a bit more casual overall – in ways that let you hear the orchestra working a bit without a net. Players are an all-star lineup of Ellingtonians – including Johnny Hodges on alto and Paul Gonsalves on tenor – and titles include "Jeep's Blues", "All Of Me", "Newport Up", "Juniflip", "Tenderly", "Hi Fi Fo Fum", "Frustration", and "Jam With Sam". CD

A lovely later recording from Stan Getz – very spare and spacious, and recorded with a casual approach that's quite striking, and really fresh! The album features Stan playing alongside pianist Albert Dailey – with no other rhythm accompaniment, just piano and tenor sax. The tunes are mostly familiar numbers, played in a relaxed, improvised mode that makes the whole thing feel like you're getting a lucky glimpse of Stan and Albert playing together in an after hours session or rehearsal. There's a bit of roughness in the recording, but given the depth of soul and color from both players, that quality also emerges as an honest humanity that only serves to make the recording more compelling! Titles include "Tune Up", "A Child Is Born", "Confirmation", "Round Midnight", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime solo set from pianist Masaru Imada – one that really opens up with the kind of warm, spacious approach to jazz that he showcased on his famous albums for the Three Blind Mice label! Imada's got a completely captivating sound here – really bringing us in with a personal approach, but one that's never too easygoing to be casual either – graced with an understanding of just the right touch on the keys and timing of the groove and resonating with a really great sound throughout! Titles include "Menina Moca", "Pico", "Sometime Ago", "Little Blue", "Spring March", "I Thought About You", and "3 x 3 Steps". CD

An unusual title, but one that refers to Jackie McLean in quartet, quintet, and sextet formation – a growing lineup that develops along the course of the record, as new players are added into the mix with a casual, almost blowing session approach! The set begins with Jackie's alto set out in spare territory with Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – plenty of space to solo on "Sentimental Journey" and "Why Was I Born" with sharp changes and deeply soulful tones that really push past the conventions of the tunes – and as the record moves on, Hank Mobley steps in on tenor and Donald Byrd on trumpet – expanding out the sound for nicely-blown versions of"Abstraction", "Confirmation", and "Contour". CD

An unusual title, but one that refers to Jackie McLean in quartet, quintet, and sextet formation – a growing lineup that develops along the course of the record, as new players are added into the mix with a casual, almost blowing session approach! The set begins with Jackie's alto set out in spare territory with Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – plenty of space to solo on "Sentimental Journey" and "Why Was I Born" with sharp changes and deeply soulful tones that really push past the conventions of the tunes – and as the record moves on, Hank Mobley steps in on tenor and Donald Byrd on trumpet – expanding out the sound for nicely-blown versions of"Abstraction", "Confirmation", and "Contour". LP, Vinyl record album

A west coast classic – featuring some of Bud Shank's best small group work of the mid 50s! The album has Shank playing in two different groups, one with Shorty Rogers on trumpet, one with the great Bill Perkins on tenor – and we'll be honest in saying that Perkins' tone is incredible, a perfect match for Shank's well-honed sound of the time – blown with a nice edge that really deepens the sound of the record – a slight sense of soul that goes past traditional west coast modes, and really fits Shank's sometimes-edgey playing. Rogers is still pretty great too – and the casual setting of the album is a refreshing change from some of his more over-arranged work for other labels at the time! Titles include "Casa De Luz", "Jasmine", "Left Bank", "Paradise", "Fluted Columns", and "Royal Garden Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

5 track sampler of tracks off the "Journey" full length. Included are album and radio versions of "We-Da-Yaso" featuring Nu-Ras, "Part Time Spittaz" featuring Juice and Rob Amster, "Krushing Krizzle" featuring Casual, "Awake", and "Hey Ladies" featuring Life. 12-inch, Vinyl record

An incredible collection of music from the great pianist Lennie Tristano – and maybe the first-ever set to truly get at the range of genius he could express on the piano! Given that Tristano only made a small amount of records during his too-short career, yet also left a major impact on the field of modern jazz – this set really documents the full span of everything that Tristano had to offer – pulled from a wonderful range of his own recordings, all of which appear here for the first time! These aren't casual solo recordings done in the basement – and instead, the package brings together a mixture of studio, live, and even television performances – all with a different spirit on each of the CDs in the set! One of the most revelatory is the final CD – which features a number of tracks in a "free session" in 1948 - with Tristano on piano, Lee Konitz on alto, Warne Marsh on tenor, and Billy Bauer on guitar – coming together with an amazing sound throughout. That same disc also features a superb 1962 live date at the Half Note – with Konitz on alto and Zoot Sims on tenor. CD1 is wonderful too – a selection of live material with the tremendous Billy Bauer on piano – a player, like Tristano, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of his instrument in modern jazz during the postwar years. CD3 features live performances by a sextet that includes Konitz, Marsh, and Bauer – plus Arnold Fishkin on bass and Jeff Morton on drums. CD2 features beautiful solo performances recorded from the early 50s through 1970. CD4 features trio session, most with Peter Ind on bass – while CD5 features different trio and duo material, but with Sonny Dallas on bass. The set is impeccably done – in cooperation with Tristano's family – and given the wealth of material, the whole thing may well have doubled his recording catalog in the process, while also really illuminating so many different aspects of his career! CD

That sun-drenched image on the cover really gets at the spirit of the music on this excellent compilation – as most of the work has this slow-stepping, laidback sort of vibe – funky, but easygoing too – with the kind of cool, casual elements that maybe feel like the kind of music that you'd put on back at home, to rest up with a cool drink after spending a long day at the ocean! Many of the tracks are vintage, but there's some contemporary nuggets here too – a really well-chosen blend of cuts that are almost a genre unto themselves. Titles include "Just A Thought" by Just Us, "Tight Tonight" by Bengt Liedman, "More Than Hope" by Wendy Grace, "As The Day Grows Tired" by Will & James Ragar, "Moonshine" by Orion, "Kayenta Crossing" by William Eaton, "Peace Train" by Garth Fletcher, and "Golden Hour" by Aria Rostami. CD

The classic debut LP from the combined members of the legendary Hieroglyphics collective! For as long as individual members and like Del Tha Funky Homosapien and affiliated groups like Souls Of Mischief had been dominating discussions about Bay Area hip hop, you had to wonder how they'd rein it all in for the a consistent group effort, but it may be that veteran wisdom that makes it such a winning effort. Some of the tracks hew closer to the older Hiero sound introduced by Del and the Souls of Mischief on their classic first couple of LPs, and some of the tracks have a grittier late 90s feel – and it's a consistently strong effort to this day. Features Pep Love, Casual, Del, Tajai, Opio, A Plus and Domino on the mic – and production by Domino, A+, Toure, and J-Biz. Titles include "The Who", "After Dark", "Mics Of The Roundtable", "Off The Record", "You Never Knew", "All Things", "Oakland Blackouts" and more. Anniversary version includes the bonus track "Battle Of The Shadow". 23 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last couple of great records Waits made for Island, and a defining moment in his career! Leave it to Waits to cut a bunch of songs that wrestle with mortality and the fleeting nature of life head on, but have as much fun with it as he does worry or mourn. It's got some rumbling raw material as gritty as anything he'd recorded before or since, beautifully sung ballads and cool, creaky speak-singing tunes. Truly a signature effort and one for both the casual fans and Waits diehards. Includes the classic "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", "Earth Died Screaming" "Dirt In The Ground", "Such A Scream", "All Stripped Down", "Let Me Get Up On It", "Whistle Down The The Wind", "That Feel" and more. CD

American avant rock treasures Yo La Tengo's 15th album, and no, it's not a covers set of the legendary, almost same-titled album by Sly & The Family Stone, but a murkily melodic, fuzzy, moody, beautiful set of songs as richly inspired by their myriad, oft-stated, readily-acknowledged influences as ever, as only this band can do! All of that is to say it's Yo La Tengo all the way – instantly recognizable, inspired and inspiring stuff. Includes "You Are Here", "Out Of The Blue", "She May, She Might", "Ashes", "Esportes Casual", "Out Of The Pool", "Here You Are" and more. CD

That sun-drenched image on the cover really gets at the spirit of the music on this excellent compilation – as most of the work has this slow-stepping, laidback sort of vibe – funky, but easygoing too – with the kind of cool, casual elements that maybe feel like the kind of music that you'd put on back at home, to rest up with a cool drink after spending a long day at the ocean! Many of the tracks are vintage, but there's some contemporary nuggets here too – a really well-chosen blend of cuts that are almost a genre unto themselves. Titles include "Just A Thought" by Just Us, "Tight Tonight" by Bengt Liedman, "More Than Hope" by Wendy Grace, "As The Day Grows Tired" by Will & James Ragar, "Moonshine" by Orion, "Kayenta Crossing" by William Eaton, "Peace Train" by Garth Fletcher, and "Golden Hour" by Aria Rostami. CD

A live document of the mid 70s Rolling Thunder Revue era! The best of it recasts classic Dylan songs as well as ones from the then recent Blood On The Tracks as raucous rock & roll tunes, which might've puzzled a lot of longtime fans, critics, and maybe even casual concertgoers at the time, but like so many initially confusing creative left turns in Dylan's career, it's a lot more fascinating in retrospect. Includes a rave-up version of "Maggie's Farm", plus "Shelter From The Storm", "Idiot Wind", "I Threw It All Away", "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again", "Lay Lady Lay", "You're A Big Girl Now" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Surprisingly wonderful work from the end of Tubby Hayes' all-too-short career – recorded in 1969 with a group that features Mike Pyne on piano, Ron Mathewson on bass, and Spike Wells on drums. The rhythm section's perhaps not as crack as some of Tubby's earlier ones on record, but they do have a hands-off approach that's quite good for Hayes' more casual and exploratory style at the time. All tracks are long, with a meandering quality that's really quite compelling – and which sounds almost a bit like Stan Getz during his wonderful early 70s years. Titles include "Off The Wagon", "Vierd Blues", "For Heaven's Sake", and "Where Am I Going". CD

The classic debut LP from the combined members of the legendary Hieroglyphics collective! For as long as individual members and like Del Tha Funky Homosapien and affiliated groups like Souls Of Mischief had been dominating discussions about Bay Area hip hop, you had to wonder how they'd rein it all in for the a consistent group effort, but it may be that veteran wisdom that makes it such a winning effort. Some of the tracks hew closer to the older Hiero sound introduced by Del and the Souls of Mischief on their classic first couple of LPs, and some of the tracks have a grittier late 90s feel – and it's a consistently strong effort to this day. Features Pep Love, Casual, Del, Tajai, Opio, A Plus and Domino on the mic – and production by Domino, A+, Toure, and J-Biz. Titles include "The Who", "After Dark", "Mics Of The Roundtable", "Off The Record", "You Never Knew", "All Things", "Oakland Blackouts" and more. CD

Don't let the "playhouse" in the title fool you – as this isn't a casual set of goofy numbers, and instead the album represents a wonderful meeting of two older piano legends – John Lewis and Hank Jones, playing here in a relaxed, easygoing setting that really lets them open up! The rare Japanese-only album is a complement to the American album of twin pianos that John Lewis and Hank Jones recorded around the same time – but there's a nice change here, in that the record changes things up – and features two duets between Lewis and Jones, two quartet numbers with bass from George Duvivier and drums from Shelly Manne, and two trio numbers, one by each pianist! The set's an especially nice way to hear Lewis in a more relaxed setting – different than his more structured, or concept-based albums – and titles include "Sacha's March", "LA Rondo", "Oh Look At Me Now", "POV", and "Marchin". CD

An unusual title, but one that refers to Jackie McLean in quartet, quintet, and sextet formation – a growing lineup that develops along the course of the record, as new players are added into the mix with a casual, almost blowing session approach! The set begins with Jackie's alto set out in spare territory with Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – plenty of space to solo on "Sentimental Journey" and "Why Was I Born" with sharp changes and deeply soulful tones that really push past the conventions of the tunes – and as the record moves on, Hank Mobley steps in on tenor and Donald Byrd on trumpet – expanding out the sound for nicely-blown versions of"Abstraction", "Confirmation", and "Contour". CD

Rare work from Art Pepper – originally recorded for TV shows in 1957 and 1964, and featuring some surprisingly great performances! The first half of the set features tracks done by Pepper for the LA-based Stars Of Jazz and Steve Allen Show – all of which feature Pepper in quartet formation with players that include Larry Bunker, Victor Feldman, Carl Perkins, Ben Tucker, and Chuck Flores – and one of which features vocalist Pam Russell singing with the group. The sound quality is wonderful – especially given the TV recording nature of the tunes – and Pepper's tone is incredible throughout, a real delight, with that sharp edge and soulful undercurrent that made his late 50s recordings so great. Titles include "All The Things You Are", "Over The Rainbow", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Stormy Weather", "Everything Happens To Me", and "Cherokee". Added to these are 3 more tracks from the Jazz Casual Show in 1964 – a bit looser than the 1957 numbers, and longer as well – with original numbers that include "The Trip", "D Section", and "Junior Cat". The CD is rounded out by 3 more rare numbers – alternate takes from one of the Omegatape sessions in 1957 – with titles that include "Webb City", "Begin The Beguine", and "Fascinating Rhythm". CD

A Chicago blues gem – and some of the rarest material issued by King Records in the 60s – very gritty, earthy blues from singer Smokey Smothers – who gets plenty of help in the studio from a young Freddy King! Smothers has this raspy, almost casual style of singing – one that works well with the easygoing rhythms of the tunes, and opens up plenty of space for Freddy to come in and do his thing – coloring the tunes with the same bold tones as on his own King sessions of the time, and maybe bringing a lot more bite into Smokey's songs than they would have had otherwise! The original record is nearly impossible to find – it fell into obscurity almost immediately upon release – and this set brings it back, along with unissued tracks and singles – to make for a whopping 25 titles in all. Tracks include "Crying Tears", "I Can't Judge Nobody", "Smokey's Love Sick Blues", "Give It Back", "The Case Is Closed", "Midnight & Day", "Honey I Ain't Teasin", "Com On Rock Little Girl", "I Ain't Gonna Be No Monkey Man No More", and "Way Up In The Mountains Of Kentucky". CD

Tripped-out soul from Cody Chestnutt – a double-length set that's an instant classic! Cody's sound is really unique – a lo-fi blend of styles that stretches back to Sly Stone and Shuggie Otis, with elements of the current Philly underground, bits of crispy hip hop production, and even some traces of early 70s underground rock . Beats are lean and messy – and Cody's voice has an honest upfront approach that really works with the lyrics, which are some of the most striking that you'll find on an album of this nature. The whole thing's got an "in the bedroom" feel that's as carefully calculated as it is casually compelling – and Cody's style really holds up, even over the course of 3 LPs! Titles include "Boylife In America", "No One Will", "Smoke & Love", "The Seed", "Magic In A Mortal Minute", "The World Is Coming To My Party", "Out Of Nowhere", and "My Women My Guitars". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime harmony soul – and one of THE east coast classics of the early 70s! Skip and group were one of the best vocal groups working on their scene at the time – with a style that's incredibly well crafted, yet also fragile enough to really capture the emotions of the tunes. This first album's a lot less polished than the group's second, and has a rough production style that really makes the whole thing come together nicely – very earnest and honest, as if you were catching these guys serving up the tunes in some out of the way spot. The title cut's a great one, but the whole album's great – filled with obscure tracks that include "I Need Your Love", "Looking Away From My Past", and "We Share Love". Righteous mellow soul – like the best work of the time by the Whatnauts! LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from one of the 70s' best vocal groups! "Seems Like" is stone mellow east coast harmony soul, with a sweet ballad style. "Town Called Nowhere" is even better, and has a nice choppy guitar, and a good midtempo groove. Very nice! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Maybe not the ultimate Northern Soul collection – you'd need a room full of CDs for that – but a pretty wonderful collection of upbeat 60s soul groovers pulled from the vaults of Warner Brothers and Atlantic Records! The 3CD set features a whopping 85 tracks in all – and most of them are rare cuts, even the ones by some of the bigger names – so that the whole thing really goes way past the obvious, and delivers surprise after surprise over the course of the long listening if has to offer! There's plenty of soul nuggets here that we haven't seen elsewhere on CD – and titles include "A Last Minute Miracle" by Linda Jones, "Baby Help Me" by Percy Sledge, "Call On Me" by The Dynells, "Walkin Up A One Way Street" by Willie Tee, "After Closing Time" by Hal Frazier, "This Beautiful Day" by Levi Jackson, "If You Ask Me" by Jerry Williams, "Mr Creator" by The Apollas, "Seven Days Too Long" by Chuck Wood, "Dance Dance Dance" by The Casualeers, "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man" by Ila Vann, "Skiing In The Snow" by The Invitations, "Teardrops Are Falling" by Little Natalie & Henry, "Bar B Q" by Wendy Rene, "Yes To The Lord" by The Stovall Sisters, "Change My Darkness Into Light" by The Flirtations, "It Hurts Me" by David & Ruben, "Livin In Love" by Sheila Anthony, "Please Operator" by Tony & Tyrone, and "Tell Me Why" by Life". CD

Several remixes of the big cut off their last LP, with a more filled-out sound than the original which is not included on this single. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Pianist Denny Zeitlin never fails to make us smile – and on an album like this, recorded many years after he first brought a new brightness to the world of jazz piano, we're still amazed at how he can unlock so many special moments with effortless ease! Zeitlin's always completely himself, but also never overstating his identity – just casually sliding into these note structures that are as appealing and optimistic as they are fresh – modernism, but from the brighter side of the sun – aided by the work of Buster Williams on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. Titles include the originals "There & Back", "Signs & Wonders", "Wishing On The Moon", and "Slickrock" – plus "All Of You" and "Put Your Little Foot Right Out". CD

A sprawling, double-sized set of Northern Soul singles – compiled by Richard Searling and with a focus on the pivotal mid 60s period – from the vaults of labels/imprints both big and small! It's got great singles issued at the time on Roulette, Capitol, United Artists, Sue, Veep, Minit, Liberty and more – mostly from '65-'68 – with some fairly famous names and comparably forgotten ones. Most of these tunes became rarities quite soon after they appeared – and it's s a massive set, too – with 50 tracks on 2CDs! Includes "Better Use Your Head" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, "Dance Dance Dance" by The Casualeers, "I'll Do Anything" by Doris Troy, "He Always Comes Back To Me" by Clydie King, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch, "The Drifter" by Ray Pollard, "Breakout" by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, "My Dear Heart" by Shawn Robinson, River Of Tears" by by Barbara Banks, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish and more. CD

No crisis here – as the music is plenty darn great – and a wicked assortment of upbeat groovers from the late 60s! Most tracks are uptempo enough to be dubbed Northern Soul, but there's often a gritty undercurrent of R&B too – an extra dose that makes the tunes perfect for that mod sound of London in the 60s – the key crossover of jazz, blues, R&B, and soul that went onto influence countless of musicians in years to come! This heavy-duty collection is filled with 27 vintage soul tracks that play perfectly to that crowd – a brilliant blend of obscurities and classics, with titles that include "Just Ain't No Love" by Barbara Acklin, "There's Nothing Else To Say" by The Incredibles, "I Spy" by Jamo Thomas, "Do The Whoopee" by Sugar Pie De Santo, "Every Beat Of My Heart" by The Du-Ettes, "Mercy" by Gene & Al's Spacemen, "My Back Scratcher" by Frank Frost, "Mr Bang Bang Man" by Little Hank, "The Rubaiyats" by Omar Khayyam, "Make Up Your Mind" by Barrett Strong, and "Soul Poppin" by Johnny Johns & The King Casuals. CD

Lots of obscure gems here – work by Dial Tones, The Swanks, Dennis Volk, Jerry & The Casuals, Phantom Five, The Legends, Flintales, Vulcans, and other obscure groups! LP, Vinyl record album

They're not kidding about the title on this one – although they might have added "weirdest" to the name, too! The songs here are all familiar ones, especially if you dig rare grooves from the 60s and 70s – but the versions you'll hear are definitely unusual – often some pretty obscure takes on funk and soul numbers, plus a few bits from other styles too – done up in even funkier versions than before, partly because the production is even rawer, but also because the overall execution is too! Latin vibes mix up with soulful rhythms, deep funk solos, and even some freaky fuzzy psyche-inspired moments – and titles include "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & The King Casuals, "Jungle Fever" by Afrosound, "Bang Bang" by Fruko & Sus Tesos, "Pastime Paradise" by Ray Barretto, "Cloud Nine" by Mongo Santamaria, "I Turn My Camera On" by Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, "Light My Fire" by Ebony Rhythm Band, "Scorpio" by Johnny Frigo, "Rat Race" by Antibalas, and "The Next Message" by The Mighty Mo & Winchester Seven. CD

Sublime harmony soul – and one of THE east coast classics of the early 70s! Skip and group were one of the best vocal groups working on their scene at the time – with a style that's incredibly well crafted, yet also fragile enough to really capture the emotions of the tunes. This first album's a lot less polished than the group's second, and has a rough production style that really makes the whole thing come together nicely – very earnest and honest, as if you were catching these guys serving up the tunes in some out of the way spot. The title cut's a great one, but the whole album's great – filled with obscure tracks that include "I Need Your Love", "Looking Away From My Past", and "We Share Love". Righteous mellow soul – like the best work of the time by the Whatnauts! LP, Vinyl record album

Joseph Malik really knocks us out with this one – and takes off with a sound that's well deserving of the "directions in music" tag in the title! At its core, the record has a similar feel to the spacey soul of Joseph's first set for Compost – lots of warm songwriting with slight folksy touches – in a Terry Callier-inspired mode that stakes out new space for the 21st century. But the sound here is also quite different – supported by arrangements and production by David Donnelly – who provides just the right blend of modes to push Malik's music boldly forward – using light keys, snapping rhythms, and a really rich tapestry of sound to fill up the spaces, and give the album a really majestic sound! The set's one of the strongest full albums we've heard from Compost in a while – and it's likely to keep Malik at the top of our play pile for a long time to come! Titles include "Nebula", "Silent Fools", "Aquarius Song", "Diablo", "Dream Dancer", "Believe & See", "Mistress Moonlight", and "Casualties Of War". CD

The Houseplant series really takes off with this killer triple-LP set – a massive batch of funk and soul, both old and new – presented here in a really great assortment of modes! There's some great deep tracks from the 70s here, alongside some well-chosen contemporary cuts from the international funk underground – plus a few other assorted surprises along the way – keeping the label's strong reputation for serving up a record that's way different than the standard funk compilation! Titles include "Short Stopping" by Veda Brown, "What's Good For You" by Harvey Scales, "Little Saddy" by Andre Ethier, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Slide" by Adesse Versions, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Town Called Nowhere" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Blah Blah Blah" by Saun & Starr, "Gotta Let Me Know" by Breakestra, "Jamaica Ska" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "Legend In My Own Mind" by The Stepkids, "Lament 1" by Dustin Laurenzi, "Trouble" by Frederick Knight, "The Echo" by Epsilons, "A Little Bit More Won't Hurt" by Bettye Crutcher, "The Who Who Song" by Jackie Wilson, and "Don't Stop" by The Bar Kays. LP, Vinyl record album

The only full album from Johnny Ace – a key figure in the Memphis scene of the 50s, and one of the first great casualties of rock and roll! Johnny was one of the first singers to record for the legendary Duke label, and worked in a mode that helped transform the smoother style of the west coast postwar R&B singers into a rougher, rawer mode that would pave the way for Memphis soul in years to come. And although Johnny died a tragic early death (and partially because of it), the impact of his work was tremendous, even in the few short years for which he recorded for Duke – leading to countless posthumous collections, mostly illegitimate, which often presented Johnny's work in less-than-superior conditions. This set is still the best – and features 12 tracks that Ace recorded for the Duke label. Titles include "How Can You Be So Mean", "My Song", "The Clock", "Cross My Heart", "Anymore", "Don't You Know", "Saving My Love For You", "So Lonely", and "Pledging My Love". LP, Vinyl record album