One of Billy Pierce's excellent early sides as a leader! Features Pierce on tenor and soprano sax, James Simmons and James Williams on piano, John Lockwood on bass, and Keith Copeland on drums. CD

An incredible lost slice of music from the young Bob Marley – an unissued set of recordings done at the Capitol Studios in LA, at a time when the Wailers were just beginning to rise in global power! The session came at an unusual moment for the group – they had come to the US to tour with Sly & The Family Stone, and were fired because the audiences were not yet ready for their groove – leaving the group a bit astray in California. But an opportunity arose to record at Capitol, a performance that was also filmed – and the result is this amazing set of tracks that captures Bob and the group at a level that's even different than their massive Island Records sets to come. There's a current of funk running through a number of these tracks, and a lean groove that's wonderfully soul-drenched throughout – not just in Marley's vocals, but in the overall performance of the rest – a tight sextet that includes Peter Tosh, Joe Higgs, Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett, and Earl Lindo. Titles include "Rastaman Chant", "Midnight Ravers", "Put It On", "Stop That Train", "Get Up Stand Up", "You Can't Blame The Youth", "Slave Driver", "Duppy Conqueror", and "Burnin & Lootin". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly THE Bob Marley album – or at least the record that really exploded the man from the Jamaican scene into huge global fame – thanks to a universally soulful sound that moved the record way past the barriers that were holding the rest of Kingston sounds back from the mainstream! The record still has Bob working with the original Wailers lineup that includes Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh – both of whom have enough of a presence here to really rise Marley up, and point him in the majestic direction he'd take on his later solo albums. The record features the classics "Get Up Stand Up" and "I Shot The Sherriff" – and other titles include "Duppy Conqueror", "One Foundation", "Pass It On", "Burnin & Lootin", "Hallelujah Time", and "Small Axe". Also includes 3 bonus tracks – "Reincarnated Souls", "No Sympathy" and 'The Oppressed Song". CD

Mindblowing sounds from the great Bunny Lee – and exactly the kind of collection that makes us love the Pressure Sounds label so much! The track selection is wonderful – and most numbers are balanced in a unique space between reggae and rocksteady, and often have some crucial influences from American soul and funk as well – but they come across with a mode that's very different from more standard reggae, especially the style of the music that would be more codified a few years later. Instead, there's a really rich sense of experimentation here – as Bunny Lee and his All Stars work on instrumental tracks, or alongside other key artists like Delroy Wilson, Rico Rodriguez, Tommy McCook, U Roy, or Winston Williams. Some tunes have amazingly trippy touches – and a few points even mix in some wild moog too – and titles include "Double Attack", "Ivan Itler The Conqueror", "Scarface", "Joe Lewis", "War", "Wet Vision", "When I Get My Freedom", "Smooth & Sorts", and "Death Rides A Horse". CD

Quite possibly THE Bob Marley album – or at least the record that really exploded the man from the Jamaican scene into huge global fame – thanks to a universally soulful sound that moved the record way past the barriers that were holding the rest of Kingston sounds back from the mainstream! The record still has Bob working with the original Wailers lineup that includes Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh – both of whom have enough of a presence here to really rise Marley up, and point him in the majestic direction he'd take on his later solo albums. The record features the classics "Get Up Stand Up" and "I Shot The Sherriff" – and other titles include "Duppy Conqueror", "One Foundation", "Pass It On", "Burnin & Lootin", "Hallelujah Time", and "Small Axe". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from the great Bob Marley – material cut with the initial lineup of The Wailers, at a time before the group would go onto much greater global fame on Island Records! The equally legendary Lee Scratch Perry is at the helm on production – and although the music here has more rough edges than some of the polished commercial work of Marley's classic years, that also makes for a heck of a lot of appeal – and a quality that also links the group's work more tightly to some of the other Jamaican trios of the rocksteady years. A few cuts here were remade later, and titles include "Keep On Moving", "Don't Rock My Boat", "Fussing & Fighting", "Put It On", "Duppy Conqueror (Version 4)", "Kaya", "Memphis", "African Herbsman" "Brain Washing", and "Sun Is Shining". In the original Upsetter mono mix, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album by Muddy – recorded in a style that's rootsier, and more down to earth than a lot of his other Chess sides! Muddy's playing acoustic guitar, and the group features Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, and Clifton James. The sound is really spare, evocative, and true – the album was quite probably titled to perk up the appeal to the strident college kids of the time, but the songs and performances are pure, honest, and rawly excellent. Tracks include "You Gonna Need My Help", "Cold Weather Blues", "Feel Like Going Home", and "My Home Is In The Delta" – and this CD edition has a 5 bonus tracks from slightly later session: "The Same Thing", "You Can't Lose What You Never Had", "My John The Conqueror Root", "Short Dress Woman" and "Put Me In Your Lay Away". CD

An obscure, but very moving session by this little-known pianist from the 60's. The session's one of the great avant ones that Savoy recorded during the decade, and like all of them, it's got a surprisingly powerful feel, despite the apparent disregard of the label for projects such as this at the time. Valdo Williams has a hypnotic approach to the piano that's unlike any of the other avant players we can think of from the period. At times, he's as free as Cecil Taylor, but he always manages to rope things back in, and then hit a groove that's a little more soulful. In a way, the album's a mix of free jazz and "new thing" playing, and it's a very unique piece of work from the period. Tracks are long, and include the titles "Desert Fox", "Move Faster", and "The Conqueror". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent 2CD primer of material collected during the dawn of the reggae age by the Trojan label on their 8 volume Tighten Up series. Bringing together some of the finest rocksteady & reggae cuts produced by Duke Reid, Leslie Kong, Scratch Perry & Joe Gibbs, the original compilations went a long way towards widening the appeal of the then poorly distributed Jamaican soul singles. The 52 songs spread out over these 2 CDs read like the playlist from a top selector's sound system, including The Untouchables' "Tighten Up", Val Bennett's "Spanish Harlem", The Uniques' "Watch This Sound", Clancy Eccles "Fatty Fatty" and "Rod Of Correction", The Upsetters' "Return Of Django", Niney's "Blood & Fire", Bob Andy's "You Don't Know", The Wailers' "Duppy Conqueror" & Johnny Clarke's "None Shall Escape The Judgement". CD

A long-overdue second volume to the original Pirate's Choice collection from Studio One – which itself was a bit of a stab at Duke Reid and his Treasure Isle label! Legendary Jamaican producer Clement Dodd serves up a host of lost gems from the Studio One catalog – not hits, but some rare mixes and under-heard tracks – all presented in the kind of format that shows just how deep Dodd's reach was back in the day, and how deep the Studio One vaults are to be turning up greatness like this! Titles include "All The Way" by Willie Williams, "You Hold The Handle" by The Conquerors, "Chinese Beauty" by Lennie Hibbert, "Heart Breaker" by Cool Operator, "Jah Light" by Cedric Im Brooks, "Pirate's Choice" by Brentford Rockers, "Sweet Child" by Freddy McGregor, and "Black Is Black" by Freedom Singers. CD features four bonus tracks – "Plea My Cause" by Main Roots, "Dirty People" by Roy Richards, "Jah Light Dub (dub plate mix)" by Brentford Disco Set, and "Homeward Bound Dub (dub plate mix)" by Freddie & Brentford Rockers. CD

Nice 2LP set that brings together some of his most striking sessions of the early 60s recorded for Emarcy. This set includes pieces composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Conquerors", "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". The set also features Diz playing tracks from Tom McIntosh, one of the scene's brightest arrangers at the time, and a talent who was looming large, thanks to support from folks like Diz and James Moody. Moody's in the group – blowing tenor with a quintet that includes Kenny Barron on piano, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and his tone is incredible, with a darkness that he'd rarely had before, and the whole group has a mixture of modern tones and soulful grooves that's beyond compare! Titles include "November Afternoon", "The Cup Bearers", "The Day After". Also included are songs from the soundtrack for the lost Shirley Clarke verite drama The Cool World. Mal Waldron wrote the material for the score, and Diz plays the music with a moody emotionality that you don't often hear in his other 60's work. The recording was made by his great group that included Kenny Barron and James Moody, and the titles include "The Pushers", "Duke's Fantasy", "Coney Island", and "Street Music". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great set of rare Detroit numbers – all pulled from the catalog of the LuPine label, a company who cut some great little records in the shadow of Motown! The work on the set includes a lot of early 60s numbers – including a few tracks by The Primettes, an early incarnation of Diana Ross & The Supremes! 18 tracks in all, with titles that include "He's My Guy" and "I Love You So" by The Kittens, "Tears Of Sorrow" and "Pretty Baby" by The Primettes, "Baby Sitting" and "He's So Fine" by The Corvells, "Touch Of Love" by Clara Hardy, "Dutchess Conquers Duke" by The Conquerors, "I'll Be Back" by The LA Dolls, "It's Been A Long Time" by Ruby & Her Swinging Rocks, and "My Heart Went Zing" by Taylor Tones. CD

A long-overdue second volume to the original Pirate's Choice collection from Studio One – which itself was a bit of a stab at Duke Reid and his Treasure Isle label! Legendary Jamaican producer Clement Dodd serves up a host of lost gems from the Studio One catalog – not hits, but some rare mixes and under-heard tracks – all presented in the kind of format that shows just how deep Dodd's reach was back in the day, and how deep the Studio One vaults are to be turning up greatness like this! Titles include "All The Way (alt mix)" by Willie Williams, "You Hold The Handle" by The Conquerors, "Chinese Beauty" by Lennie Hibbert, "Plead My Cause (take 3)" by The Main Roots, "Bongo Skank" by The Soul Rebels, "Heart Breaker" by Cool Operator & The New Establishment, "Jah Light" by Reuben Alexander & The Brentford Disco Set, "Pirate's Choice" by Brentford Rockers, "Sweet Child" by Freddy McGregor, "Dirty People" by Roy Richards, "Father Free Us" by Carlos Malcolm, and both the "original" and "single mix" of "Black Is Black" by Freedom Singers. LP, Vinyl record album