Trumpety magic from Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – a record that's known not only for its classic cover of a model dipped in whipped cream, but also for it's tremendously groovy groove! The Tijuana sound is very firmly in place by the time of this set – Mexican-inspired, but compressed down into a sweet little LA groove in that magical A&M way – never too over the top, done in a way that takes a previously-hokey brassy sound, and smoothes it out for the Now Sound generation! Titles include the hit single "Whipped Cream", plus "Taste Of Honey", "Green Peppers", "Bittersweet Samba", "Lemon Tree", "Ladyfingers", and "Butterball". Includes the bonus tracks "Rosemary" and "Blueberry Park". CD

... CD

Includes tracks by Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos. CD

With Ludacris on the remix. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Includes tracks by Jackie Lee, JJ Barnes, The Mirettes, Edwin Starr, Darrell Banks, The Dynamics, San Remo Strings, LJ Reynolds, Lee Garrett, Carl Carlton, The Tripps, O'Jays, and more! CD

Wilson Pickett at Fame Studios – an unbeatable mix that yields up one of his greatest albums ever! All the best elements of Pickett's strength at Atlantic Records are firmly in place here – hard, raw vocals at the front, supported by funky accompaniment from Fame Studios regulars, plus a bit of vocals from The Sweet Inspirations – all tied together by near-perfect production from the legendary Rick Hall! But best of all, the tracks here are all winners through and through – mostly penned by the cream of the crop of southern-tinged soulsters of the time – including George Jackson, Bobby Womack, Raymond Moore, and the team of Isaac Hayes & David Porter. Of course, Lennon & McCartney contributed the title track "Hey Jude" – which Wilson redoes here with the same soulful inflection that Ike & Tina were bringing to some of the 60s rock cannon at the end of the decade – and other titles include "Save Me", "My Own Style Of Loving", "Toe Hold", "People Make The World", "A Man & A Half", and "Sit Down & Talk This Over". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of gems from the legendary Rotary Connection – an early Chicago group that featured Minnie Riperton on vocals, and Charles Stepney on production! Songs is amazing soul from Rotary Connection – and one of their greatest albums! The "songs" concept has the group working over a bunch of tunes by other folks – and the record features many late 60s rock titles, redone with the group's incredible baroque soul sound. Charles Stepney did the arrangements, and the music has that airy eerie quality that worked perfectly for Minnie Riperton's amazing voice. Includes a stellar cover of "Respect", with a slow trippy groove that has been sampled over the years – plus a wild cover of "Tales of Brave Ulysses" that virtually defines the term "psychedelic soul". Other tracks include "The Weight", "This Town", "The Salt Of The Earth", and "Sunshine Of Your Love". Hey Love is a massively beautiful piece of work by "the new Rotary Connection" – a version of this groundbreaking Chicago soul ensemble which featured Phil Upchurch, Henry Gibson, and Charles Stepney – the cream of the Chicago production scene! Minnie Riperton's still in the band on vocals, and her work on the LP is similar to that on the legendary Come To My Garden LP. The album features the incredible track "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun" – a haunting soul anthem that has been a favorite of groovers for years, and which was later made into a house track by NuYorican Soul. A great album all the way through, and filled with loads of excellent cuts! Other tracks include "If I Sing My Song", "Hey, Love", "Love Has Fallen On Me", and a cover of Terry Callier's "Song For Everyman". CD

An excellent groover from the legendary Vince Montana! Vince arranged, produced, conducted, and wrote just about all of this second album by hard-grooving Salsoul Orchestra – and the album's a no-nonsense batch of disco instrumentals that's way better than many of the fake albums of the type that sprung up in the group's wake. The players include the cream of the Sigma Studios team – including the Baker/Harris/Young triad – and the tracks have a wonderfully soulful sound, with loads of great instrumentation on guitar, bass, percussion, and Montana's jazzy vibes! Titles include "It's Good For The Soul", "Nightcrawler", "Nice N Naasty", "Salsoul 3001", "Ritzy Mambo", and "It Don't Have To Be Funky (To Be A Groove)". 4 bonus tracks: 12" disco mixes of "Nice N Naasty", "It Don't Have To Be Funky (To Be A Groove)", "Ritzy Mambo (12" mix)" and "It's Good For The Soul (12" mix)". CD

A great record – and the kind of lost soul that has group collectors digging through the used bins year after year! Smoke hailed from Kansas City, and they were sweet harmony group in the mode of many of their east coast contemporaries. The record was recorded in 1976, but has a sound that's more 1972 or 1973 – with some uptempo righteous cuts, and some heavenly floating ballads that really hit the best sort of group soul harmony heaven! The record appears to have been recorded in Chicago – as the engineer is Paul Serrano, and the arrangements were handled by Benjamin Wright. Tracks include "I Can Feel Your Love (Comin' Down On Me)", "Cream Of The Crop", "I'm So Lonely", "Have I Really Lost You", and "Don't Take Your Love". A smooth groove classic through and through! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic tribute to the overlooked genius of British pianist Mike Taylor – an artist who made a few key contributions in the late 60s, before turning up dead in the River Thames at the young age of 31! The core of the package is Mike's debut Trio album – a lost set of modernist piano jazz from the British scene of the late 60s – very much in the mode of the best American work of the time by pianists like Steve Kuhn or Don Friedman! Taylor's got an incredible touch on the keys – a post-Bill Evans mode that uses space as much a sound, and which paints in broad colors and tones that seem to glisten in their own unique place in the musical spectrum. The sound is free, but never too "out" – and the trio performs a number of strong originals like "Just A Blues", "Two Autumns", "Guru", and "Abena" – plus completely transformed versions of "Stella By Starlight" and "All The Things You Are". CD then also includes one quartet track from the album Pendulum – recorded with Dave Tomlin on soprano sax, in a 14 minute take on "Night In Tunisia". Then, the set really steps into a few surprises – as Taylor composed the music for a few Cream tracks (bassist Jack Bruce was an early jazz partner of Mike) – so the set features the early Cream recordings of "Passing The Time", "Pressed Rat & Warthog", and "Those Were The Days". CD

The classic debut – with "You Really Got Me", "Runnin With The Devil", "Jamie's Cryin", "On Fire", "I'm The One", "Atomic Punk", "Eruption", and "Ice Cream Man". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy". This fantastic new package features the whole album in stereo and mono – plus 26 more bonus tracks, and a 16 page booklet of new notes and photos! CD

The classic first LP with Method Man, Ghost Face Killer, Raekwon, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and The Genius. The start of a generation, and of the hip hop enterprise that overshadowed a lot of the mid 90s! 12 tracks, including "Can It All Be So Simple", "Method Man", "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin", "CREAM", "Tearz", "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin Ta F' Wit", "Protect Ya Neck", "Shame On A Ni**a" and "Bring Da Ruckus". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from Tatsuro Yamashita – an artist most folks know for his groundbreaking soul music in the second half of the 70s in Japan – but one who starts out here in much more of a rock basis overall, with an especially strong influence on most of the tracks from legendary Beach Boy Brian Wilson! The music is a real surprise, but also shows that Yamashita was also an excellent pop craftsman at the core – with qualities that really resonate strongly with some of Wilson's best, mixed with a growing understanding of the key elements that were changing up music in the 70s – a progression that you'll almost hear over the course of the album! Most instrumentation is by a small quartet lineup that features Tatsuro on drums and acoustic guitar, next to electric guitar, bass, and keyboards – plus harmony vocals from all members of the group. Titles include "Your Summer Cream", "Car Crazy Cutie", "Help Me Rhonda", "Wendy", "Don't Worry Baby", "Semi Detached Suburban Mr James", "Crazy Words Crazy Tune", and "Love's Made A Fool Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible stuff from the jazz underground of Newark! This is one of the rarest albums ever recorded by jazz organist Larry Young – cut for the tiny Perception label during the early 70s, and featuring some of the cream of the New Jersey jazz underground. The album's got playing that bridges a number of Young's different styles – from his straighter soul jazz work at Blue Note, to his harder jamming with Santana and John McLaughlin, to his more fusion oriented albums for Arista. James Blood Ulmer's on guitar, but there's also a large ensemble of excellent players, and lots of other percussion and cool instrumentation that really gives the album an "out there" sound! Titles include "Sunshine Fly Away", "Saudia", "Hello Your Quietness", and "Khalid Of Space". CD

Incredible stuff from the jazz underground of Newark! This is one of the rarest albums ever recorded by jazz organist Larry Young – cut for the tiny Perception label during the early 70s, and featuring some of the cream of the New Jersey jazz underground. The album's got playing that bridges a number of Young's different styles – from his straighter soul jazz work at Blue Note, to his harder jamming with Santana and John McLaughlin, to his more fusion oriented albums for Arista. James Blood Ulmer's on guitar, but there's also a large ensemble of excellent players, and lots of other percussion and cool instrumentation that really gives the album an "out there" sound! Titles include "Sunshine Fly Away", "Saudia", "Hello Your Quietness", and "Khalid Of Space". CD

Amazing sounds from Frank Zappa – and a record that showed the world that he was also one hell of an arranger too! The album's got all the offbeat, tripped-out qualities that you'd expect from late 60s Zappa – but at times, it's also got this tightness that's really amazing – almost as if Frank's showing the world that he can easily do the same things as the studio wizards of LA pop – but chooses to keep most of his efforts on the wrong side of the tracks! There's plenty of larger backings at points – handled by some of the cream of the crop of the LA studio and jazz scene – but other moments are pretty darn raw, and have a gritty, almost homemade sound collage feel. LP, Vinyl record album

Westwood One radio show, including tracks by The Doors, Cream, The Who, Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Allman Brothers, Byrds, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A rich serving of grooves from the contemporary Spanish scene – a surprisingly strong place for heavy funk and heady rhythms – played here by a wealth of groups we've never heard before! The package is a real revelation – an indication that there's plenty going on in Spain that our ears have been missing, and proof that all the funky reissues by the Vampi Soul label have definitely been leaving their mark on the younger generation too! Most cuts here have a deep funk or funky jazz vibe – and most are instrumentals too – played by 24 new groups, none of whom appeared on the previous volume in this series – further proof that Spain is really going strong. Titles include "No Te Cruces" by Funklab, "Extra" by Watch TV, "Madrid Boogie" by Venue Connection", "Happy" by Elkano Browning Cream, "Funky Business" by Umbabaraumba, "Rootdown" by Mr Thinkalot, "Meny Un" by Zunk, "Terra Plain" by The Psyco Pixie Puck, "Keep Behind This Line" by Brabenders, "Be A Looser" by Afro Soul" Toating, "Constellation Man" by Mother Groove, and "Snatch" by Superstero. CD

A great set of mellow soul from the 70s – put together by the Groove Diggers crew, who you might know from a host of other excellent projects on the P-Vine label – here serving up a sweet batch of laidback grooves that really work wonderfully together! There's definitely some of the tropic vibe you might expect from the cover, mixed with warmer currents from modern soul gems as well – all key cuts from albums that P-Vine has reissued over the years, sounding even better in the presence of each other. Titles include "Got To Be Lovin You" by Erik Tagg, "Love Has Taken It All Away" by Jim Schmidt, "Everything You Do" by Positive Force, "Sunshine Of My Life" by Moonpie, "My Girl Friday" by Danny Dee, "If We Took The Time" by Ted Coleman Band, "Fly Away" by Matthew Larkin Cassell, "Cream Is Rising To The Top" by Chocolateclay, and "Oh Oh" by Lui. LP, Vinyl record album

With Buffalo Springfield, Led Zeppelin, Byrds, Cream, Steve Miller Band, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

The cream of modern jazz in Germany during the postwar years – the kind of amazing music that never made it over to our side of the Atlantic, but which was really marking some great jazz development on the European scene of the time! As Germany picked itself up from the ashes of the war, it also experienced an amazing cultural rebirth – in film, literature, and especially music – music like this, which bursts forth with a freshness and urgency that still sounds as creatively compelling here in the 21st Century as it did back at the end of the 50s! The vibe is very much a precursor to better-known sounds from the Saba/MPS scene, and many of these artists later recorded for that label too – but here, the work is nicely early, and pretty darn great – a selection of titles that includes "Domicile" by Joki Freund & Albert Mangelsdorff, "Minority" by Michael Naura, "Lover Man" by Inge Brandenberg, "Night Bounce" by Attila Zoller, "Ease It" by Albert Mangelsdorff, "Madam B" by Die Deutschen All Stars, "Mike's Blues" by Michael Naura, and "Meeting At The Barberina" by Horst Jankowski & Rolf Kuhn. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Rascals, Bee Gees, Cream, Buffalo Springfield, Vanilla Fudge, and Iron Butterfly. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning assortment of rare vocal group recordings from the legendary Vee Jay Records – one that goes far past the label's bigger hits, and which includes the cream of the crop of rare doo wop from the Chicago scene – including some rare early gems on the Parrot Records label! The set's wonderful all the way through – a must-have collection if you're into doo wop – with a total of 25 tracks that include "Joni" by Preston Jackson & The Rhythm Aces, "Shombalor" by Sheriff & The Ravels, "Marsha" by The Prodigals, "Kiss Me" by El Cincos, "Evil Woman" by 5 Echoes, "Crazy Over You" and "This Is The Night" by Kool Gents, "Please Don't Leave Me" and "Fine Sweet Woman" by The Orchids, "Up On The Mountain" and "Caddy Bo" by The Magnificents, and "I Can't Refuse" & "Met A Girl On The Corner" by The Orchids. Many tracks unreleased too! CD

Out of the wreckage of Cream came some very hip grooves! Ginger Baker was the hippest of the group's 3 members – and although he's often credited by soul fans for his work with Fela, he should also get hats off for his work with the group Air Force. At its base, the group's in the jazz rock mode – with players that include Brit jazz luminaires Phil Seamen, Harold McNair, and Graham Bond, plus rockers like Baker, Steve Winwood, Denny Laine, and Rick Grech. The tracks are all long groovers in a post-beat group mode – and the best tracks have a jamming sound that's pretty over the top. Titles include "Da Da Man", "Aiko Biaye", "Do What You Like", "Doin It", and "Don't Care". LP, Vinyl record album

The Baker Gurvitz Army maybe sounds better on Elysian Encounter than on their debut – partly because Ginger Baker and the Gurvitz brothers have really found their groove – but also because there's some great keyboard work on the set from Peter Lemer, who you might know from earlier jazz work too! Ginger's really wailing on drums and percussion – in a way that's somewhat different than both Cream, and his own records too – and those searing guitar lines from Adrian Gurvitz really help give the whole album a great sense of focus and power! Titles include "People", "The Key", "The Gambler", "The Dreamer", "The Hustler", and "The Artist". LP, Vinyl record album

A great package – one that features some wildly experimental work from French electronics whiz Philippe Besombes! First up is the album Libra – tripped out electronics meet progressive rock jamming – all in a weird and wonderful film score from the early 70s! The record's one of the best by French experimentalist Philippe Besombes from the time – and it's got a style that sort of starts in the territory of Francois De Roubaix similar electronic work for film – but gets a lot darker and noisier right away! There's a textural depth here that's really great – almost a pre-industrial music exploration of sounds – but the work's also not that over-indulgent, either – and Besombes always has a great way of getting back to a tune, especially on the shorter tracks. Titles include "La Plage", "Rugby", "Ceremonie", "Hache 06", "La Ville", "Les Cosmonautes", "Tis A Song", "Boogimmick", and "PJF 261". Next is the record Esombeso – also release as Ceci Est Cela – a strange mix of sound library electronics and much more experimental work from Philippe Besombes – a set that carries echoes of some of the best Italian soundtrack electronics of the 70s, but which also features much darker, more turgid moments as well! The album collects some of Besombes' performances for ballet and other settings – and stands as an even starker document of his talents than some of the other albums issued under his name in the 70s. Titles include "Pawa"," Geant", "Seul", and "Ceci Est Cela". Next are two more albums done under the name Hydravion – both of which show Besombes turning his electronics into tighter, more song-based territory – although not without some noise from time to time – shorter tracks that sometimes get a bit tuneful, but which are still light years from mainstream music of the period. CD set also features bonus tracks for the first two albums – 8 more numbers that include "L'Or Des Fous", "Traversee", "Trio", "Piano Prepare", "Orgue Hache", and "Chocolate Cream". CD

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". 2CD package features bonus tracks – "Ministry Of Bag (demo)", "The Clearout (alt)", "Ministry Of Bag (alt)", "Weird Of Hermison (alt)", "Escapoe To Royal Wood (inst demo)", "Vikings (first attempt)", "Rope Ladder To The Moon (second attempt)", "You Burned The Tables On Me (inst demo)", and "Rope Ladder To The Moon (first demo)" – plus a remastered version of the original mix, and a new stereo mix. Blu-ray 3 features 96 kHz/24-bit new 5.1 Surround Sound and stereo mixes by Stephen W Taylor and remastered original stereo mix. Blu-ray 4 features the 1970 documentary film – Rope Ladder To The Moon. CD

A solid and underappreciated later effort from Tommy James – memorable songs and charismatic vocals with strains of his earlier hits in the uber catchiness that you can't shake off, with bits of sunshine country rock in the arrangements – and expertly tailored thanks to cream of the crop of session players on board – including Scotty Moore and Pete Drake. Includes "Nothing To Hide", "Tell 'Em Willie Boy's A Comin", "White Horses", "Rosalee", "Walk A Country Mile", "Kingston Highway", "I Live To Love A Woman", "Dark Is The Night" and more. CD

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". CD

The four amazing solo albums cut by David Ruffin for Motown – proof that leaving The Temptations could be one of the greatest things to ever happen to a soul singer! Ruffin's power as a vocalist was certainly a bit part of the success of the Temps in the mid 60s, but we love him even more on these brilliant solo albums – all bold, proud records that step forth with the kind of righteousness and deepening soul that was reserved for only the cream of the Motown crop at the end of the 60s. The crackling sense of humanity that Ruffin first brought to his work with The Temptations is really given center stage on these records – presented in a progressive format that goes far deeper than even most other Motown soul of the time. The 2CD set presents the complete tracks from the albums My Whole World Ended (1969), Feelin Good (1969), David Ruffin (1972), and Me & Rock N Roll Are Here To Stay (1973) – a total of 42 tracks in all. Titles include "My Whole World Ended", "World Of Darkness", "The Double Cross", "I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved", "One More Hurt", "I Let Love Slip Away", "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "The Forgotten Man", "Common Man", "I'm Just A Mortal Man", "I Miss You", "Go On With Your Bad Self", "City Stars", "I Saw You When You Met Her", and "Take Me Clear From Here". CD

Great Blue Note two-fer which compiles tracks from Randy Weston's fantastic albums recorded for United Aritsts – rare gems at the forefront of late 50s modern jazz, and records that hardly ever see the light of day! The albums are filled with seminal versions of Randy's famous compositions – played by sextet and septet lineups with players that include the cream of New York modern – Ray Copeland, Melba Liston, Johnny Griffin, Kenny Dorham, and Slide Hampton. Great work all around – and material that's really not properly been reissued over the years – making this well-annotated 70s collection as essential as an original copy, and almost as rare! Titles include "Little Niles", "High Fly", "Little Susan", "Babe's Blues", "Nice Ice", "Earth Birth", "Pam's Waltz", and "Spot Five Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful collection from a time when the Italian scene was really on fire – getting past some of the more standard modes of Italo Disco of the 80s, and really stepping forward with some of the most soulful, uplifting sounds of house music! Given the way the earlier Italian work influenced the grooves in Chicago and New York clubs, the cultural exchange makes even more sense going the other way around – and the well-chosen cuts on this set represent the cream of the crop from this moment – really well-conceived, well-produced cuts that have a surprisingly soulful vibe throughout. Titles include the previously unreleased cuts "London (orig mix)" by Ricky Montanari & Davide Ruberto, and "Melt The Sun" by Ivan Iacobucci – plus "Let's Face The Music" by Night Communication, "Switch Back" by Green Baize, "Get Up" by Mental Detector, "So In Love With You (club)" by Sound Set, "Make My Move (Tira dub)" by Workin Happily, "Give You Myself (Ethos Mama dub)" by Sima, and "In Total Darkness (irregular dub)" by More Heavy Soul. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic solo work from Ginger Baker – a musician who only seemed to get better and better the farther he moved away from Cream and Blind Faith! A set like this really gives Ginger a chance to open up and explore all the many musical currents that were grabbing his interests – served up here in a mix of jazz, funk, rock, and soul delivered by a lineup who are every bit as stunning as the music on the album! In addition to plenty of work from Baker on drums, the set features jazz contributions from the excellent Harold McNair and Chris Wood, who both play saxes and flute – plus drums from the legendary Phil Seamen – as well as a heck of a lot more sax and organ from Graham Bond, plus bass from Ric Grech, guitar and vocals from Denny Laine, organ and vocals from Steve Winwood, percussion from Neemoi Acquaye, and lots more contributions from a lineup that's almost too big to mention. The results are wonderful – and titles include "Toady", "Let Me Ride", "We Free Kings", "12 Gates Of The City", "Do U No Hu Yor Phrenz R", and "Sweet Wine". CD

The cream of the crop of early 80s reggae. Fusing militant, political lyrics with the excellent harmony vocal arrangements of Puma Jones, Duckie Simpson and Michael Rose and the unrelenting electrified rhythms of Sly & Robbie, Black Uhuru represented the zenith of the modern Roots era. This album is considered by many to be the group's last great one, in spite of a number of concessions that gave it further commercial appeal – and helped it win a grammy. Whatever your opinion, it's hard to argue with classic cuts like "What Is Life?", "Solidarity", "Party Next Door" and "Bull In The Pen", plus "Black Uhuru Anthem", "Try It", "Botanical Roots" and "Elements". CD

These guys may be obscure, but they've got a super-sharp sound – one that's filled with lots of acid-drenched guitar, played with a tightness that rivals most of their bigger contemporaries at the time! Group members all had a history working with other acts – including Buffalo Springfield, The Bobby Fuller Four, and Don & The Goodtimers – so that might expect the well-done, professional approach to the record – as it does its evolving sense of heavier guitar work at the end of the 60s. Whatever the case, though, the set's plenty great to stand on its own – even without that pedigree – filled with Cream-styled fuzzy guitar lines that are totally great, focused vocals sung by group members at once, and a batch of well-penned tunes that almost deserve to be classics. Titles include "Sweet Mama", "Love Is Here", "Yellow's Dream", "Feel Like A Bandit", "Loveless Lives", "No Regrets", and "Winding Your String". 2 bonus tracks on this CD version – mono versions of "Marianne" and "Yellow's Dream". CD

Driving stuff from Blues Image – the fairly short-lived, Latin-tinged 60s stoner rockers that are scarcely remembered but for the lone big hit "Ride Captain Ride", one of the finest rock singles of the era. That tune, with it's mellow mid tempo organ groove and big catchy chorus is a bit uncharacteristic of the group's overall sound. Blues Image as a whole is much more indebted to Cream – with really heavy riffing and tight propulsive drums and percussion that make them a nicely dirgy answer to others in the sunshine scene. Hazy rock fans of today can have their Queens Of The Stone Age, and all the rest. We'll take the real thing. Thanks again, Sundazed, for rescuing a long lost, worthy slab of 60s rock! "Love Is The Answer", "Running The Water", "Clean Love", "La Bamba", "Consuelate", "Ride Captain Ride", "Pay My Dues" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the rarest work ever by Sonny Criss – and a key link between his LA bop sides of the mid 50s, and his Prestige comeback sides of the late 60s! The CD features tracks from a rare album that Criss cut in Paris during the early 60s, while he was living in the city and working with the cream of its jazz players. This all-star set has Criss blowing some wonderfully soulful alto in a combo that includes Georges Arvanitas on organ and piano, Rene Thomas on guitar, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Philippe Combelle on drums. The original album is one of the rarest sides we've ever found ourselves looking for over the years – and it's wonderful to have the material back out again with such great fidelity! It's wonderful to hear Criss blowing with an organ/guitar group – but even the piano tracks are pretty darn great. Titles include "Early & Later (parts 1 & 2)", "St Louis Blues", "Once In a While", "Green Dolphin Street", and "Day Dream". CD

Some of the rarest work ever by Sonny Criss – and a key link between his LA bop sides of the mid 50s, and his Prestige comeback sides of the late 60s! The set features tracks from rare sessions that Criss cut in Paris during the early 60s, while he was living in the city and working with the cream of its jazz players. This all-star set has Criss blowing some wonderfully soulful alto in a combo that includes Georges Arvanitas on organ and piano, Rene Thomas on guitar, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Philippe Combelle on drums – plus a few more tracks with Henri Renaud on piano, Michel Gaudry on bass, and Combelle on drums. 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

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". CD includes 4 bonus tracks "Chain of Fools (unedited version)", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (mono single version)", "Since You've Never Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (mono single version)", and "Ain't No Way (mono single version)"! CD

A great entry in the Chess Heritage Series at the end of the 60s – one that features rare 50s Chicago recordings by Elmore James, plus some even more obscure sides by lesser-known singer John Brim! James' style is well known, and well-executed here – rough and raw, but with a good sense of focus – on tracks that include "Whose Muddy Shoes", "I See My Baby", "My Best Friend", "The Sun Is Shining", "Madison Blues", and "Talk To Me Baby". Brim is great too – a singer we didn't know before this record, with an all-out kind of quality in his voice that's almost a bit like some of the rougher soul of the 60s at times. Brim sings "Lifetime Baby", "Ice Cream Man", "You Got Me", and "Rattlesnake". Includes the bonus track "Lifetime Baby". CD

70s two-fer that brings together early 60s Vee Jay albums – recorded around the time of his best early work for Blue Note, and with a good hard group that includes Clifford Jordan on tenor, Eddie Higgins on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. A tight set of tracks that includes originals by Jordan, Higgins, Morgan, and Wayne Shorter – with titles like "Fire", "Lost & Found", "The Hearing", "Triple Track", and "Expoobidient" – all burners that really sum up the majestic power of the young Lee Morgan at his best! "Young Lions" is a stunning session from 1960 not only coined the term "young lions" in jazz, but offers up a pack of them that any modern players would be hard-pressed to beat. Trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenorist Wayne Shorter, and pianist Bobby Timmons take a break from the Jazz Messengers to join altoist Frank Strozier in the frontline on this fantastic set of tracks that ring with a lyrical beauty hardly surpassed by any other hardbop album. Shorter wrote nearly all of the tracks, and the set list includes some of his best-ever work, like "Seeds Of Sin", "Scourin'", and "Peaches & Cream" – all beautiful tracks that are completely sublime. The group's completed by Bob Cranshaw on bass and Albert Heath on drums – and other titles include "Fat Lady", and "That's Right". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Art Pepper material, recorded in one of his comeback periods, and featuring the famous Richard Claxton photo of Art Holding his horn next to a tree. There's several different lineups featured, with a coupl of quintet and quartet sides, and a few with larger horn section, and the sidemen are the cream of the West coast jazz crop, including Bud Shank, Chet Baker, Curtis Counce, Leroy Vinnegar, Mel Lewis, Stan Levey and Lawrence Marable. 9 numbers in all, with rousing takes on standards like "What Is This Thing Called Love" and "A Foggy Day" and Pepper originals "Diane A Flow", "Zenobia", and "Powder Puff". CD

A massively beautiful piece of work by "the new Rotary Connection" – a version of this groundbreaking Chicago soul ensemble which featured Phil Upchurch, Henry Gibson, and Charles Stepney – the cream of the Chicago production scene! Minnie Riperton's still in the band on vocals, and her work on the LP is similar to that on the legendary Come To My Garden LP. The album features the incredible track "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun" – a haunting soul anthem that has been a favorite of groovers for years, and which was later made into a house track by NuYorican Soul. A great album all the way through, and filled with loads of excellent cuts! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Cecil Taylor's most striking albums of the 60s – and one of the few in which he works with a larger than usual group – not a trio or quartet, but an ultra-hip sextet! The lineup is incredible – the cream of the arch-modern players of the avant era, including Bill Dixon on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on bass – a double-use of the instrument that's really tremendous. Cecil himself plays with a firey style that's got the best energy of some of his earlier European recordings, but a tighter approach that's even more compelling. The album features 2 long tracks: "Conquistador", which is very free and wild; and "With (Exit)", which is a bit more subdued, but not too much! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Cecil Taylor's most striking albums of the 60s – and one of the few in which he works with a larger than usual group – not a trio or quartet, but an ultra-hip sextet! The lineup is incredible – the cream of the arch-modern players of the avant era, including Bill Dixon on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on bass – a double-use of the instrument that's really tremendous. Cecil himself plays with a firey style that's got the best energy of some of his earlier European recordings, but a tighter approach that's even more compelling. The album features 2 long tracks: "Conquistador", which is very free and wild; and "With (Exit)", which is a bit more subdued, but not too much! US CD features an alternate edit of "With (Exit)" as a bonus track! CD

Pretty well peak era material from pianist Cecil Taylor – doing his thing with incredible line up of jazz greats on a couple NYC dates from early 1961! A couple of the pieces here are pure magic – we're especially loving the bits where Cecil is kind of hitting the keys heavily, spurring the players from a comfortable, measured gait into something a bit more feral, but it never busts wide open, creating a dynamic tension. The cream of the crop are on board, including Clark Terry, Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Archie Shepp and Billy Higgins. The numbers mostly run north of 8 minutes, for a nicely loose, lingering groove, and titles include "Jumpin' Punkins", "OP", "I Forgot" and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". CD

One of our top ten jazz albums of all time! Honest! This stunning session from 1960 not only coined the term "young lions" in jazz, but offers up a pack of them that any modern players would be hard-pressed to beat. Trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenorist Wayne Shorter, and pianist Bobby Timmons take a break from the Jazz Messengers to join altoist Frank Strozier in the frontline on this fantastic set of tracks that ring with a lyrical beauty hardly surpassed by any other hardbop album. Shorter wrote nearly all of the tracks, and the set list includes some of his best-ever work, like "Seeds Of Sin", "Scourin'", and "Peaches & Cream" – all beautiful tracks that are completely sublime. The group's completed by Bob Cranshaw on bass and Albert Heath on drums – and other titles include "Fat Lady", and "That's Right". If you buy one jazz album this year, let it be this one! CD

One of our top ten jazz albums of all time! Honest! This stunning session from 1960 not only coined the term "young lions" in jazz, but offers up a pack of them that any modern players would be hard-pressed to beat. Trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenorist Wayne Shorter, and pianist Bobby Timmons take a break from the Jazz Messengers to join altoist Frank Strozier in the frontline on this fantastic set of tracks that ring with a lyrical beauty hardly surpassed by any other hardbop album. Shorter wrote nearly all of the tracks, and the set list includes some of his best-ever work, like "Seeds Of Sin", "Scourin'", and "Peaches & Cream" – all beautiful tracks that are completely sublime. The group's completed by Bob Cranshaw on bass and Albert Heath on drums – and other titles include "Fat Lady", and "That's Right". If you buy one jazz album this year, let it be this one! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Scott McKenzie, the Turtles, the Mamas & the Papas, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Harpers Bizarre, the Box Tops, the Beach Boys, the Lovin' Spoonful, Stevie Wonder, the Hollies, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, The Byrds, Van Morrison and more. CD

Fantastic solo work from Ginger Baker – a musician who only seemed to get better and better the farther he moved away from Cream and Blind Faith! A set like this really gives Ginger a chance to open up and explore all the many musical currents that were grabbing his interests – served up here in a mix of jazz, funk, rock, and soul delivered by a lineup who are every bit as stunning as the music on the album! In addition to plenty of work from Baker on drums, the set features jazz contributions from the excellent Harold McNair and Chris Wood, who both play saxes and flute – plus drums from the legendary Phil Seamen – as well as a heck of a lot more sax and organ from Graham Bond, plus bass from Ric Grech, guitar and vocals from Denny Laine, organ and vocals from Steve Winwood, percussion from Neemoi Acquaye, and lots more contributions from a lineup that's almost too big to mention. The results are wonderful – and titles include "Toady", "Let Me Ride", "We Free Kings", "12 Gates Of The City", "Do U No Hu Yor Phrenz R", and "Sweet Wine". CD

The last album in the legendary run of records from Ginger Baker and the brothers Adrian and Paul Gurvitz – a heck of a power trio, but one that comes across in a very different way than Baker's famous work in Cream! If anything, Ginger's drums have more of a funk current than before – a really powerful driving force at the bottom, while Adrian riffs around all over the top and edges of the tunes with these well-crafted guitar lines that don't even need a solo to find their voice – wickedly emphasizing the vocals on tunes that include "Flying In & Out Of Stardom", "Neon Lights", "Mystery", "Thirsty For The Blues", "My Mind Is Healing", and "Smiling". LP, Vinyl record album