With John Coltrane, Milt Jackson, Kenny Burrell, JJ Johnson, Art Blakey, Joe Carroll, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... CD

A set of classic groovers from Dee Dee Sharp – cut during her early stretch at Cameo/Parkway, at a time when Dee Dee was one of the hardest hard soul singers on the Philly scene! As you'd guess from the title, most of the tracks here have an upbeat groove that's aimed at the dancefloor – that best side of romping Philly 60s soul that's had such an influence on the Northern scene over the years – sung with that raspy, hard-edge sound that some of the Philly singers had going on a lot more than others from Detroit or Chicago. Titles include "Mashed Potato Time", "Hurry On Down", "Gravy", "Eddie My Love", "Gee", "Be My Girl", and "Slow Twistin". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent batch of tracks from the old school – material that's heavy on stark beats and boogie basslines – of the sort that was being recorded in NYC in the shadow of Sugarhill! There's plenty of cuts here that would be right at home at a South Bronx street party – equally forged from funk and club as from samples and scratching – but definitely topped with early hip hop lyrics all the way through! The set's got lots of great cuts we haven't seen reissued – and titles include "Paranoia Rap" by Appliances, "New Fresh & Ill" by Chipsy, "Love's Calling (inst)" by Opus Ten, "The Pop" by Gary Davis, "Super Jake" by Gee Dee, "The Easton Assassin" by Sunburst Band, and "We Can't Be Held Back (radio mix)" by Brothers Supreme. LP, Vinyl record album

Live old school hip hop and funky disco breaks from the first school – previously unreleased material recorded straight from the Ecstasy Garage Disco sound board at the dawn of the 80s – party rockin' rhymes from a loose collective of "Ecstasy Garage All Stars"! Live Convention 80 includes a non stop party with rhymes by a whos who of early hip hop who all found their way to the stage – including Grandmaster Caz, JDL, and Kay Gee (of the Cold Crush Brothers), Whipper Whip, Ruby Dee, and Grand Wizard Theodore (of the Fantastic Five Freaks), the Soul Sonic Force, and the Nice and Nasty Four. Broken into 7 cuts, a couple shorter and a jams that run 5-6 minutes. Digitally remastered from grainy source material, but the vibe transcends! CD

The first installment from the RZA, Poetic, Prince Paul and Fruikwan, setting up the whole horrorcore genre, which lasted about a minute (well. . .long enough for these guys to release a second LP and a fair number of weak copycat groups to crop up). There's a few nice nuggets on here, and some excellent production at the hands of Prince Paul & RZA. Vinyl version has 16 tracks, counting the interludes, including "Constant Elevation", "Mommy What's A Gravedigga?", "Diary Of A Madman" and "6 Feet Deep". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic batch of instrumentals from J Dilla – one that strongly transcends the hip hop genre – and perhaps his rawest, and most adventurous listening experience ever! The loopy soul samples, rich synth/electro shine, and thumping bass and soul beats that Dilla largely made his name on are laced throughout, but he also takes things a step into stranger territory – with spacey elements that buzz as much as they groove! The cuts are never less than soulful and funky, and never really steps into his peer Madlib's brand of the weeded out style, either. We love how raw this all feels, too! It's easily identifiable as the work of Jay Dee, but at the same time, wholly unpredictable! One of the best releases that Stone's Throw ever released – instrumental or vocal! Includes "Donuts (Intro & Outro)", "Workinonit", "Waves", "Light It", "People", "Mash", "Airworks", "Lightworks", "Stepson Of The Clapper", "One Eleven", "Don't Cry", "Geek Down", "Thunder", "Gobstopper", "Walkinonit", "U-Love", "Last Donut Of The Night" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive batch of instrumentals from J Dilla – one that strongly transcends the wordless hip hop genre – and perhaps his rawest, and most adventurous listening experience yet! The loopy soul samples, rich synth/electronic shine, and thumping bass and soul beats that Dilla largely made his name on are laced throughout, but he also takes things a step into stranger territory – with spacey elements that buzz as much as they groove! The cuts never less than soulful and funky, and never steps into Madlib's brand of the weeded out style, either. We love how raw this all feels, too! It's easily identifiable as the work of Jay Dee, but at the same time wholly unpredictable! One of the better Stone's Throw hip hop efforts in a while – instrumental or vocal! 31 pieces in all: "Donuts (Intro & Outro)", "Workinonit", "Waves", "Light My Fire", "People", "Mash", "Airworks", "Lightworks", "Stepson Of The Clapper", "One Eleven", "Don't Cry", "Geek Down", "Thunder", "Gobstopper", "Walkinonit", "U-Love", "Last Donut Of The Night" and more. CD

A host of southern soul tracks – all presented here in versions that have never been issued before – as they're all the original takes of the tunes that were first tone for Ace Records of Mississippi! You'll recognize a few of these tunes, which sound different in the earlier takes – and there's also plenty of other more obscure numbers you won't know at all – served up in modes that bridge the New Orleans soul and deeper Mississippi music that Ace did so well at the end of the 50s. CD features 24 tracks in all – and titles include "I Was Wrong" by Roland Cook, "Can't Let You Go" by Albert Scott, "Heaven Came Down" by Calvin Spears, "Mr Blues" by Joe & Ann, "I Know" by Bobby Marchan, "Blessed Are These Tears" by Joe Tex, "Gee Baby" by Joe & Ann, "Yes I Got You" by Chuck Carbo, "Honey Honey" by The Supremes, "Teenage Rock" by Little Booker, and "My Love Is Strong" by Earl King. CD

A slice of soul you might never expect – early work from the De-Lite label, a company better-known for their famous club hits of the late 70s – but starting out here with an amazing array of deep soul 45s! The music is a wonderful contrast to the disco and club of the label's fame – and showcases an immediate commitment to singers who could really knock it out of the park – with vocals that rival the sounds coming from southern labels like Stax, or some of the more famous productions on Atlantic – which is a huge surprise if you only know the De-Lite recordings by Kool & The Gang or The Kay-Gees! 25 tracks in all – all super-rare – and titles include "Keep Away" by The Appointments, "Look What You Done For Me" by Contributors Of Soul, "Oh Girl" by Johnny Washington, "Need You Girl" by Fred Cole, "I Wish It Would Rain" by Beverly Hammonds, "Say So" by La Jay Alexander, "Everlasting Love" by Johnny Washington, "I Saw You There" by The Appointments, "I Smell Trouble" by Johnny De'Vigne, "I'll Always Love You" by Felton Burks, "Send Her Back" by Sammy Taylor, "When A Woman Loves A Man" by Jean Battle, "Tender Loving Care" by Joe Kennedy, and "I Got To Get Close To You" by Yvonne Daniels. CD

Deep and bluesy work from the all-star Ellington group of the late 50s – a beautifully recorded album that moves way past the simple cliche of its title! The set features a host of original tunes from Duke Ellington and other members of the group – and players include Jimmy Hamilton on tenor, Ray Nance on trumpet, Matthew Gee on trombone, and the wonderful Johnny Hodges on alto – playing here at the peak of his later powers. Titles include "Three J's Blues", "Smada", "C Jam Blues", "Sweet & Pungent", "Blues In Blueprint", "The Swinger's Jump", and "Blues In Orbit". LP, Vinyl record album

Really moody magic from the great Yusef Lateef – an artist who was definitely using his time on the Impulse label to open up some new territory in his music! This set might well be the most experimental that Lateef had recorded to date – still filled with the exotic touches of his previous records – including work on a wide range of global reed instruments – but handles with a deeper fascination with sound and shape, so much so that Lateef sometimes steps away from straight swing to some very creative moments. A key part of this sound is pianist Mike Nock – who joins Lateef here, and really opens up his own sound too – playing at a level that's light years past many American pianists, and really setting the stage for some of his work to come as a leader. The rest of the group is great too – an unusual quartet with Reggie Workman on bass and James Black on drums – and titles include "Try Love", "Soul Sister", "Love Waltz", "Warm Fire", "Gee Sam Gee", and "Listen To the Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from an amazing quintet made up of some of the best players to ever grace the Blue Note label! Horace Parlan leads a tight tight tight combo that includes Grant Green on guitar and Booker Ervin on tenor sax – and the three of them fit together beautifully, with a dark moody edge that's unlike anything we can think of – loads of sharp, downturning notes, deeply soulful solo moments, and this raw sound that's totally great! Ervin's tone is razor-sharp, Green's guitar is unbelievably precise, and Parlan keeps on laying out these beautiful blocky chords that have a deeply resonant bottom – supported wonderfully by rhythms from Al Harewood on drums and George Tucker on bass. Tracks include "The Book's Beat", "The Other Part Of Town", "Fugee", and "Up & Down". CD

They may be Teenagers, but this is hardly teen pop – as the album's a key step in the direction towards soul music for the 60s – thanks to the mighty power of the tragic Frankie Lymon! There's a sense of darkness to the album right from the start – even in the hit that kicks things off – and Lymon's heartbreaking quality never lets up – with a deep soul sensibility that may well top the group leads of Clyde McPhatter or Jackie Wilson in the same generation. Even some of the more playful moments have an undeniable power – and titles include the classic "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", plus "I'm Not A Juvenile Deliquent", "I'm Not A Know It All", "Love Is A Clown", and "Please Be Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the usual old school R&B – but a sweet batch of cuts from a time when the music was taking on a new style in the soul generation – as older artists and younger singers moved gritty vocals into a range of great new grooves – much of which were a real precursor to the Northern Soul scene in the UK! Years later, we'd probably call these cuts deep soul – although the grooves are more upbeat than the usual numbers of that style, and often romp around in ways that have stronger ties to funk or boogaloo soul – with mighty strong vocals that really sock a heavy punch. Tracks include "I Say I Love You" by Johnny Guitar Watson, "Oh Baby Don't You Weep" by Luther Ingram, "Man Is A Mean Thing" by Barbara Perry, "Double Locks" by Johnny Gosey, "Long Gone Baby" by BB King, "You're Supreme" by Sterling Magee, and "I'm The Man" by Albert Washington & the Kings. LP, Vinyl record album

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include "Geek Down", "E=MC2", "Love Jones", "Love", "Baby", "So Far To Go", "Jungle Love", "Dime Piece" , "Love Movin'" and "Won't Do". CD

A funky soul band with a bit of a clubby groove – and one that features some great male harmony vocals behind lead singer Jann Harrison! Harrison's got a very light style of singing – almost soprano at points, which makes the male voices especially welcome – as they help ground the grooves much more deeply down towards the basslines that are such a strong part of the album. The set's got a really classic De-Lite Records feel from the 70s – a groove that's right up there with the Kay-Gees at their best – with riffing guitar, bumping bass, smooth keyboards, and tight horns over the top. Titles include "Gotta Get A High", "Shake Your Body", "Try To Find A Way", "Never Gonna Let You Go", "Sexy Lady", and both vocal and instrumental versions of "Melodies". CD also features bonus 12" mixes of "Melodies" and "Shake Your Body". CD

Deep and bluesy work from the all-star Ellington group of the late 50s – a beautifully recorded album that moves way past the simple cliche of its title! The set features a host of original tunes from Duke Ellington and other members of the group – and players include Jimmy Hamilton on tenor, Ray Nance on trumpet, Matthew Gee on trombone, and the wonderful Johnny Hodges on alto – playing here at the peak of his later powers. Titles include "Three J's Blues", "Smada", "C Jam Blues", "Sweet & Pungent", "Blues In Blueprint", "The Swinger's Jump", and "Blues In Orbit". CD features 8 bonus tracks too – including "Track 360", "Brown Penny", "Sweet & Pungent (alternate)", and "Pie Eye's Blues (alternate)". CD

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down – and appearances by Common, D'Angelo, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, MED, Black Thought and others! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production – and passionate rhymes from the honored guests. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include in-your-f**kin' face intro "Geek Down" with Busta Rhymes, "E=MC2" feat Common, "Love Jones", "Love" feat Pharoahe Monch, "Baby" feat Madlib & Guilty Simpson, "So Far To Go" feat Common & D'Angelo (come back D', the world needs you), "Jungle Love" feat MED & Guilty Simpson, "Dime Piece (Remix)" feat Dwele, "Love Movin'" feat Black Thought and "Won't Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic entry in this really great series – a set that's not really disco or reggae, but which reimagines classic soul and funk tracks with a blend of laidback rhythms and contemporary instrumentation! True, you might play this stuff at a club – but the overall vibe here is a lot deeper, and the music is a great summation of the spirit that the Stix label has put into their singles over the years – usually very expensive on their own, which makes this full length set a really great introduction to their music! Titles include remakes of "We Love In Brooklyn" by Soul Sugar, "Take Me With You (unreleased discomix)" by Blundetto & Booker Gee, "Summertime" by Wolfgang, "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by Mato, "Risin To The Top" by Hawa, and the cuts "She Can't Love You", "Radiactivity", and "Forget Me Nots" by Taggy Matcher. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky blues treasures from the late 60s & early 70s – a once-scoffed at movement from a period when aging blues stars and purist blues fans alike were hesitant to accept their beloved style modernized in a funky fashion – but the best of it stands up today as some of the coolest and most unique funk, blues and soul of the era! BGP does a terrific job here of digging a bit deeper then some the more famous blues funk fusions, with numbers by Slim Green, Al King, Icewater Slim, Little Milton, The Johnny Otis Show, Al King, Big Daddy Rucker, Buddy Guy and more. 21 tracks in all: "Shake 'Em Up" by Slim Green, "It Took A Long Time" by Finis Tasby, "I'm Not The Best" by Buddy Guy, "Tough Competition" by Ray Agee, "Eli's Pork Chop" by Little Sonny, "Playing On Me" by Albert King, "Good Feeling" by Freddy Robinson, "Welcome Home" by Lowell Fulson, "Comin' At Ya Baby" by The Johnny Otis Show, "That's What Love Will Make You Do" by Little Milton and more. CD

Deep and bluesy work from the all-star Ellington group of the late 50s – a beautifully recorded album that moves way past the simple cliche of its title! The set features a host of original tunes from Duke Ellington and other members of the group – and players include Jimmy Hamilton on tenor, Ray Nance on trumpet, Matthew Gee on trombone, and the wonderful Johnny Hodges on alto – playing here at the peak of his later powers. Titles include "Three J's Blues", "Smada", "C Jam Blues", "Sweet & Pungent", "Blues In Blueprint", "The Swinger's Jump", and "Blues In Orbit". CD features 8 bonus tracks too – including "Track 360", "Brown Penny", "Sweet & Pungent (alternate)", and "Pie Eye's Blues (alternate)". CD

A killer set from an amazing quintet made up of some of the best players to ever grace the Blue Note label! Horace Parlan leads a tight tight tight combo that includes Grant Green on guitar and Booker Ervin on tenor sax – and the three of them fit together beautifully, with a dark moody edge that's unlike anything we can think of – loads of sharp, downturning notes, deeply soulful solo moments, and this raw sound that's totally great! Ervin's tone is razor-sharp, Green's guitar is unbelievably precise, and Parlan keeps on laying out these beautiful blocky chords that have a deeply resonant bottom – supported wonderfully by rhythms from Al Harewood on drums and George Tucker on bass. Tracks include "The Book's Beat", "The Other Part Of Town", "Fugee", and "Up & Down". CD contains a bonus alternate of "Fugee". CD

A killer set from an amazing quintet made up of some of the best players to ever grace the Blue Note label! Horace Parlan leads a tight tight tight combo that includes Grant Green on guitar and Booker Ervin on tenor sax – and the three of them fit together beautifully, with a dark moody edge that's unlike anything we can think of – loads of sharp, downturning notes, deeply soulful solo moments, and this raw sound that's totally great! Ervin's tone is razor-sharp, Green's guitar is unbelievably precise, and Parlan keeps on laying out these beautiful blocky chords that have a deeply resonant bottom – supported wonderfully by rhythms from Al Harewood on drums and George Tucker on bass. Tracks include "The Book's Beat", "The Other Part Of Town", "Fugee", and "Up & Down". CD

The second album from the enigmatic Bridget St John – and a slightly more expanded version of the sound explored on her debut! Bridget's still very much in a folk-inspired sound here – but like the work of Nick Drake and some of her contemporaries on the British scene, this album has jazzier phrasings and some slightly baroque touches on some tunes – really deepening the feel of the songs, and giving the album a dark depth that we'd easily compare with some of Drake's greatest work. Studio genius Ron Geesin produced the set with a surprising degree of subtlety – just the right amount of edgey undercurrents to unsettle the tunes nicely – never threatening Bridget's presence on the album, but augmenting the moody spectrums that already came across so nicely on the first record. Titles include "A Day A Way", "City Crazy", "Back To Stay", "Seagull Sunday", "If You'd Been There", "Song For The Laird Of Connaught Hall (part 2)", "It Seems Very Strange", and a version of Donovan's "The Pebble & The Man". LP, Vinyl record album