Key work from the guy who put the "modern" in modern jazz – the great George Russell, heard here in the company of some younger players who definitely help him seek out some new territory in music! The record's got a wonderful balance between sharp edges and swing – a sound that few others could handle so well as Russell – and which bears some links to George's bigger concept albums in the 50s, but comes across with a sound that's much leaner, and which easily makes this record one of the most striking modern sides on the Riverside label at the time! Players are all great – and include Don Ellis on trumpet, Paul Plummer on tenor, John Pierce on alto, and Steve Swallow on bass – plus Russell on piano and Joe Hunt on drums. Titles include "Stereophrenic", "Pan Daddy", "Kige's Tune", and "Blues In Orbit". CD

The magic sunshine here is all from the legendary catalog of MPS Records – unusually groovy jazz tracks from the 60s and 70s, all hand-picked by the equally legendary DJ Gilles Peterson! Peterson first turned many ears onto MPS back a few decades ago – with his excellent Talkin Jazz series – and this set follows strongly in that legacy, but also really shows both the deeper knowledge of the label's catalog we've acquired over the years, and the further development of Gilles' incredible ear for finding an unusual tune! The music here isn't just funky jazz, it's a huge range of sounds at once – some modal and spiritual elements, some global jazz experiments, a few vocal tracks, and even some very cool space-age styles – served up in a package that seems to make each new track burst forward with fresh feeling in the company of the others – that rare quality that can make a compilation like this so great. Titles include "Lillemor" by Francy Boland, "Out Of The Sorcellery" by Eddie Louiss, "Big P" by Modern Jazz Group Freiburg, "Stone Ground Seven" by Singers Unlimited, "Harp Revolution" by Johnny Teupen, "Service" by Orchester Roland Kovac, "Love Train" by Third Wave, "Dew" by Don Ellis, "Our Chant" by Gunter Hampel, "Denn Liebe Ist Stark Wie Der Tod" by Wolfgang Lauth, "Why & How" by Mark Murphy, and "Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo" by Pedro Iturralde with Paco DeLucia. LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set – as it's a perfect overview of the way that jazz and rock were criss-crossing at the start of the 70s! Features work by Don Ellis, Matching Mole, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Ornette Coleman, Gentle Giant, Compost, Paul Horn, Charles Mingus, and Soft Machine! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice selection of classic 60s soul numbers, focusing on women who like to exercise their pipes, and while we had remembered this set hewed close to the mainstream, there's a few nice little nuggets on here that they dug a little deeper for. 14 tracks in all: "The Nitty Gritty" by Shirley Ellis, "Tell Mama" by Etta James, "Hard To Handle" by Patti Drew, "Bold Soul Sister" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Lee Cross" and "You Send Me" by Aretha Franklin, "Heartbeat" by Gloria Jones, "Stay With Me" by Lorraine Ellison, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" by Barbara George, "Rescue Me" by Fontella Bass, "Hypnotized" by Linda Jones, "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" by the Sweet Inspirations, and "Ask Me" by Maxine Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes some rare bonus tracks too! Benny Carter on alto saxophone, George Duvivier and Ray brown on bass, Bobby White, Jo Jones, and Louis Bellson on drums, Herb Ellis on guitar, Don Abney, Oscar Peterson, and Teddy Wilson on piano. CD

Some of the most striking Eric Dolphy work we've ever heard – a set of live performances from the years 1962 and 1963 that feature Dolphy in a free-thinking mode that surpasses even the modernism of his classic studio sides! The recordings feature Dolphy amidst a variety of players – including a number of unlikely suspects like Barry Galbraith, Eddie Costa, and Jim Hall – and although some of the tracks have a moody and introspective third stream quality (3 of the numbers are written by Gunther Schuller), others are quite open, and almost have an ESP-like intensity. One longer title is a jam session take on Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" – recorded with a lineup that includes Phil Woods, Nick Travis, Benny Golson, Don Ellis, and Lalo Schifrin! Other titles include "Iron Man", "Half Note Triplets", "Densities", and "Night Music". CD

Later two-fer that brings together two meetings between trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and tenorist Stan Getz. Both sides feature nicely grooving material – with tracks that are a bit shorter than the usual Verve "celebrity meets celebrity" set, but which are no less well-played! Dizzy is always fantastic in this sort of loosely-crafted setting – and Getz's playing here is nicely relaxed, with more open-ended blowing than you might hear in some of his own sets as a leader. The pair play with backing by the Oscar Peterson trio on the first set which includes "Siboney", "Impromptu", "Girl Of My Dreams", and "It Don't Mean A Thing", while the second set finds them stretching out nicely on "Be Bop", "We", "Dark Eyes" and "Lover Come Back" along side Sonny Stitt, John Lewis, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Stan Levey. LP, Vinyl record album

A key 60s classic from the great Roy Hamilton – an album done nearly a decade after his initial rise to fame, but with a really great sound overall! Roy's vocals are wonderfully full and feeling here – a bit in the mode of Brook Benton, with some mellower country influences at the bottom of the mix – but also somewhat mature and sophisticated, too – that rising respectability of the male soul singer of the 60s, finally given the space of expression that would match older jazz vocals. Arrangements on the album are by Marty Manning, with a feel that's full, but never overwhelming – and Roy's vocals are wonderfully upfront in the mix throughout. Titles include "Guess Who", "The Same One", "Looking Back", "Baby, Don't You Cry", "It's Too Soon To Know", and "For Your Precious Love". Plus, the album's augmented by 15 more bonus tracks too – singles for MGM with arrangements by Garry Sherman, Teacho Wiltshire, Ray Ellis, Dick Hyman, Bert Keyes, and others – on titles that include "The Sinner", "Let Go", "Midnight Town Daybreak City", "You Still Love Him", "She Make Me Wanna Dance", "The Panic Is On", "You Can Count On Me", and "A Thousand Tears Ago". CD

With Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Don Pullen, Bootsy Collins, and others. CD

One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis – and although there's some of the usual Kudu electric funk in the mix, there's also some deeper soul elements too – a vibe that's often a bit laidback and open, almost more Atlantic Records at points – which is a mighty good fit for Esther's wonderful voice! As usual for Kudu, the players are an all-star lineup – one that includes Richard Tee on keyboards, George Benson on guitar, Maceo Parker on tenor, and Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham on drums – and Don Sebesky's also on deck a bit, to sweeten a few tracks up with light strings. The album's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Use Me" that features a tasty break in the intro – and other titles include a great version of "Alone Again (Naturally)", plus the cuts "Let's Move & Groove", "Cherry Red", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You & Me Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of groovy big band tracks from the 60s – with a surprisingly soulful sound! With Art Pepper on alto and clarinet, Don Menza on tenor, Herb Ellis on guitar, Joe Azarello on piano, and Gary Walters on bass. CD

Angular modernism from George Russell – a record that's still strongly preoccupied with his interest in modes and tones, but which also manages to swing nicely as well! The group here is a sextet – with Eric Dolphy making a great appearance on alto and bass clarinet – alongside Dave Baker on trombone, Don Ellis on trumpet, Steve Swallow on bass, and Joe Hunt on drums. Although the leader, Russell never lets his piano dominate, but instead mostly punctuates – pointing the way forward to the horn players, who group together in tremendous formation – the slide off into separate space for their solos! Titles include Russell standards "Ezz-Thetic" and "Lydiot", plus great readings of "Nardis" and "Round Midnight". Includes bons tracks "Kige's Tune (takes 2 & 5)". CD

George Russell was always committed to exploring new territory – as he proves well on this hard to find album cut for Riverside during the early 60s! Russell's surrounded himself here with some great younger and lesser-known players – including trumpeter Don Ellis, trombonist Garnett Brown, tenorist Paul Plummer, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca – as well as vocalist Sheila Jordan, who joins the group on a strange extended version of "You Are My Sunshine". The set contains 2 other loopy originals by Russell – "The Outer View" and "DC Divertimento" – as well as versions of Carla Bley's "Zig Zag" and Charlie Parker's "Au Prive". LP, Vinyl record album

Probably the most classic of Stitt's sides for Verve – and certainly the one that gets rated time and time again by jazz collectors. We think it's pretty darn great – although we always wonder why folks don't give Stitt's other sides for Verve as much of a chance, because they're all pretty darn excellent! The record's a very laidback session, with 4 long tracks that feature plenty of room for Stitt to meander along on his solos. The group includes Roy Eldridge, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Stan Levey – and titles include "The String", "BW Blues", and "Blues For Bags". LP, Vinyl record album

The magic sunshine here is all from the legendary catalog of MPS Records – unusually groovy jazz tracks from the 60s and 70s, all hand-picked by the equally legendary DJ Gilles Peterson! Peterson first turned many ears onto MPS back a few decades ago – with his excellent Talkin Jazz series – and this set follows strongly in that legacy, but also really shows both the deeper knowledge of the label's catalog we've acquired over the years, and the further development of Gilles' incredible ear for finding an unusual tune! The music here isn't just funky jazz, it's a huge range of sounds at once – some modal and spiritual elements, some global jazz experiments, a few vocal tracks, and even some very cool space-age styles – served up in a package that seems to make each new track burst forward with fresh feeling in the company of the others – that rare quality that can make a compilation like this so great. Titles include "Lillemor" by Francy Boland, "Out Of The Sorcellery" by Eddie Louiss, "Big P" by Modern Jazz Group Freiburg, "Stone Ground Seven" by Singers Unlimited, "Harp Revolution" by Johnny Teupen, "Service" by Orchester Roland Kovac, "Love Train" by Third Wave, "Dew" by Don Ellis, "Our Chant" by Gunter Hampel, "Denn Liebe Ist Stark Wie Der Tod" by Wolfgang Lauth, "Why & How" by Mark Murphy, and "Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo" by Pedro Iturralde with Paco DeLucia. LP, Vinyl record album

Probably the best-ever volume in this great series! This 4th volume is a stunning batch of rare jazz funk tracks – and the selection's a bit more obscure than some of the other Groovy volumes. There's some great cuts from Eastern Europe – like "Nijana" and "Horka Cesta" by Jana Koubkova, "Chain Of Fools" by The Flamingo Group, and "Black Pigeon" by Michael Naura. There's other nice ones from the American soul scene – like the amazing "Date With The Rain" by Eddie Kendricks, "Take Yo Praise" by Camille Yarborough, "Battened Ships" by Odyssey, and "How Long" by Thelma Jones. And there's even some other nice rare jazzy bits – like "Theme From The French Connection" by Don Ellis and "I Thought It Was You" by Kimiko Kasai & Herbie Hancock. Very nice, with the usual very high level of quality! LP, Vinyl record album

The sound of soulful LA in the 60s – 24 tracks pulled from the Kris Records label catalog, home to some very tasty groovers with a solid Northern feel! The package includes tracks from the start of the label up to the early 70s – and features a variety of strong solo acts that we'd never heard of, but which rank with the best of the indie scene in LA at the time. Titles include "You" by Jimmy Preacher Ellis, "My Lover" and "Cool It Baby" by BB Carter, "Prove It" and "Only True Love" by Lee Harvey, "Money Man" and "My Assurance" by The LA Untouchables, "I'm Gonna Make It" by Lee Jones, "Live & Let Live" by Pure Ice, "Need Of Love" by Cookie Jackson, "Walk Proud" by The Del Reys, "Oh My Love Sweet Love" by The Hill Sisters, and "Don't Hang Yourself" by Fay Cooper. CD

A really fantastic little collection – a look at the way that sounds from the Caribbean changed over nicely when brought to the UK scene – where immigrants from former British territory really helped to transform the sound of London in the 70s! The music here is served up in a range of different styles – certainly reggae, but with plenty of funk and soul too, mixed with other elements from the islands – all brought into new play together when taken up in the UK! Right from the start, the English artists were starting to put their own spin on things – so the cuts within offer up all these great new directions – maybe even more surprises than you're used to finding on some of the other collections from the Soul Jazz label! The presentation of material is superb, and there's some very detailed notes as well – with cuts that include "No Time For Hello" by Harry Beckett, "Ooh Boy" by Sandra Reid, "Don't Call Us Immigrants" by Tabby Cat Kelly, "RK1" by The Terrorist, "Black Pride" by Brown Sugar, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Black Harmony, "Positive Vibrations" by Pebbles, "Love Money" by Funk Masters, "Ragga Trip" by Ragga Twins, "Be Thankful For What You've Got" by Winston Curtis, "Fug" by Cymande, "Sticks Man" by Black Slate, "Rising To The Top" by Dee Sharp, "Misty Winter" by Digital Mystikz, "Compelled" by Cosmic Irden, and "Still In Love" by Janet Kay & Alton Ellis, and "Java Bass" by Shut Up & Dance. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of work from the late 60s years of Trojan Records – cuts that are a lot deeper and more interesting than you might guess from the rude boy in the title! These aren't watered down ska cuts for the later tourists, but ruff and ready gems that rose up from the Kingston scene, bridged the Atlantic, and set the tone for a whole new generation overseas – served up here in a well-chosen batch of tracks that mixes classics with lesser-known gems – and really shows the political power of the rude boy in song – very much a precursor to righteous themes of the roots reggae years. 24 cuts in all – and titles include "Rude Boy Confession" by Romeo & The Emotions, "Young Generation" by Desmond Dekker & The Aces, "Rudies Are The Greatest" by The Pioneers, "Stop The Violence" by The Valentines, "Hot Iron" by The Originators, "Dreader Than Dread" by Honeyboy Martin & The Voices, "Set Them Free" by Lee Perry & The Sensations, "Gunmen Coming To Town" by The Heptones, "Don't Trouble People" by Alton Ellis, and "No More Trouble" by Lloyd & Glen. LP, Vinyl record album

A bursting treasure chest of prime rocksteady from Treasure Isle – featuring incredible 60s soulful and steady rockin' numbers by Alton Ellis & The Flames, The Paragons, Lester Sterling & Tommy McCook, The Melodians, Phyllis Dillon, The Three Tops, Joya Landis, Dobby Dobson, John Holt and many more! The consistency throughout this set, as well as the geniune love for the material that went into compiling is pretty wonderful – as are the songs. It's all from the fertile period of the rocksteady style, that soulful and steady sound that simmered out of the preceding ska style – spanning '66-'68 – backed by Duke Reid and backed by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics. 40 tracks on 2CDs: "Girl I've Got A Date", by Alton Ellis & The Flames, "You Don't Need Me" by Melodians, "In The Midnight Hour" by The Silvertones, "Wear You To The Ball" by The Paragons, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's Raining" by The Three Tops, "Soul Serenade" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "I'm A Loving Pauper" by Dobby Dobson, "Angel In The Morning" by Joya Landis and many more. CD

A really rare soundtrack from Quincy Jones – right up there with his jazziest gems of the 60s, but never issued on record at the time! The music is for an obscure film with Robert Wagner in the lead, and the sounds are a hip blend of the earlier jazz modes of Quincy, with some of the fuller charts that really showed an ever-evolving sense of tone and color! Jones manages to be both sophisticated and organic at the same time – mixing light strings with more down to earth jazz instrumentation – handled by an array of players that includes Dave Grusin and Don Randi on keyboards, Mike Barone on trombone, Jack Nimitz and Bud Shank on reeds, and Herb Ellis on guitar. There's a few nice moments of wordless vocals, and Gil Bernal sings the "Eyes Of Love" leadoff song – next to other cuts that include "Relay Chase", "Mad Pad/A Lack Of Lass", "Poker/Take Tea & Me", "Dental Fleece", "Don't Make Waves", "Fixation", "I Want You", "Trying Tie", and "Sudden Death". CD

Loads of great stuff we've never seen on other soul compilations – with many tracks by groups that you may recognize, pulled from lesser-known corners of their careers! Titles include "Music" by The Festivals, "Use Your Head" by Mary Wells, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" by The Flamingos, "My Woman's Good To Me" by George Benson, "Restless" by Margie Hendrix, "A Reason To Be Lonely" by Otis Leavill, "Don't Turn Away" by Tony Diamond, "Take It Or Leave It" by The Satisfactions, "How Come" by Tony Williams, and "Call Me" by Lorraine Ellison. CD

Includes tracks by the Wailers, Roland Alphonso, the Gaylads, Skatalites, Delroy Wilson, Jackie Mittoo, the Clarendonians, Jeff Dixon and Alton Ellis, and the Mellolarks – 14 tracks total. CD

A sweet trio set from bassist Ron Carter – done with great piano from Kenny Barron and guitar from Herb Ellis – a really sensitive pair who make things swing gently with Carter throughout! Ron's warm basslines really direct the set strongly – and the lean recording style gives his careful notes plenty of space in the spotlight – really underscoring the lyrically brilliance of Barron and Ellis, who deliver a lot more here together than we might expect! Titles include "Blues For DP", "Summertime", "Quiet Times", "For Toddlers Only", "Sweet Lorraine", and "Airegin". CD

A great set from Ella Fitzgerald – recorded at Carnegie Hall during a stretch when Fitzgerald was hitting new worldwide fame, and singing a lot of groovy contemporary tunes – but done here in a very old school style that hearkens back to Ella's earliest days in the jazz world! The orchestra here is that of Chick Webb, directed by Eddie Barefield – who brings a vintage swing to the music that's mighty nice, and free from some of the more modern modes of some of Fitzgerald's studio work of the time. The live setting allows for Ella to open up nicely on some tunes – especially some of the medley numbers, which may well be some of the most entertaining on the record. Ella sings with some backing from Ellis Larkins on piano on a few numbers – and a few other tracks are instrumental, with work by Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor, and Al Grey on trombone. Titles include "Stardust", "Some Of These Days", "I've Gotta Be Me", "C Jam Blues", "Smooth Sailing", "Indian Summer", and "Lemon Drop". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful meeting of two of the biggest 50s talents on the drums – and a session that's great not only for the expected firey percussion, but also for the horn work by other members on the set! Given the "drum battle" style of the record, the tracks are long and very open – done in a studio mode that recalls some of the Krupa/Rich meetings at JATP, and like the JATP sides, featuring plenty of space for players to take longer solos. Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, and Roy Eldridge get in some nice licks on the set – and other players include Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, and Ray Brown. Titles include "Gene's Blues", "Bernie's Tune", "Buddy's Blues", and "I Never Knew". CD also includes bonus tracks "Sunday" and "Monster". CD

A mindblowing musical discovery – funky music made in Canada by expatriate Jamaicans – easily some of the most obscure post-colonial grooves we've ever dug! The sound here is a lot less reggae-based than you'd expect – as most of the tunes are in a really nitty gritty funky 45 sort of mode – filled with strong influences from American soul of the late 60s and early 70s, but often done with a style that's a bit dirtier and fuzzier, especially at the bottom of the rhythms. There's a few traces of Jamaican production styles on the records, but overall the album's more like finding a lost stash of rare 45s from some smaller American funk scene – all work that's totally darn fresh, and beautifully presented here in a lavish booklet filled with enough notes and vintage images to rival the work coming out of the Numero camp of late! Great stuff all around, with titles that include "Chips Chicken Banana Split" and "Fugitive Song" by Jo Jo & The Fugitives, "Eternal Love" by The Sheiks, "Memories" by Noel Ellis, "Right On" and "I Wish It Would Rain" by The Cougars, "Grand Funk" by Jackie Mittoo, "Love Is The Answer" by Ram, "You're So Good To Me Baby" by Eddie Spencer, "Mr Fortune" by The Hitch-Hikers with Mighty Pope, "Fire (She Need Water)" by Wayne McGhie & The Sounds Of Joy, and "I Believe In Music" by Bob & Wisdom. CD

An overdue look at the great range of sounds that came from Inner City Records at the end of the 70s – a hip American indie with a strong specialty in soulful fusion, hip vocalists, and a range of other great styles too – all brought together here by London DJ Kev Beadle! Inner City's often a bit overlooked – as the label flourished most strongly in the years after some of the better-known soulful imprints of the 70s – and the label always had a great ear for new sounds, fresh ideas, and the kind of compelling global elements that often led them to license key tracks from overseas, and bring them to the US market. This collection's heavy on singers – the kind of cool, underground jazz vocalists that Inner City captured so well – and it's also got a nice mix of funky fusion, modal numbers, and spiritual currents – on titles that include "The Other World" by Judy Roberts, "Hunt Up Wind" by Hiroshi Fukumura, "Vera Cruz" by Helen Merrill, "Lucky Southern" by Tom Lellis, "Quickie Nirvana" by Kellis Ethridge, "Samba De La Cruz" by Terumasa Hino, "So High" by Janet Lawson, "The Samba" by Jeff Lorber, "Return Of The Prodigal Son" by Joe Lee Wilson, "Shenkansen" by Urszula Dudziak, "To An Elfin Princess" by Charlie Mariano, "Pandora" by Carlos Franzetti, and "Jennine" by Eddie Jefferson. CD

A damn classic entry in the Super Breaks series from BGP – one that's filled with crucial sample cuts from the old school – some really wonderful funky nuggets, brought together here as a great reminder of the tracks that first got us digging back in the day! There's less of the totally obscure numbers here than you might find on other Super Breaks volumes, but things aren't totally mainstream either – and the compilers have not only done a great job of pulling together tracks that were really important for hip hop, but have also managed to put a really fresh spin on the music altogether – reminding us once again that even in the age of digital music, nothing beats a well-done compilation! Titles include "Shifting Gears" by Johnny Hammond, "Mary Mary" by The Monkees, "Scratchin" by Magic Disco Machine, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor, "Africano" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band, "Got To Get A Knutt" by New Birth, "Get Up & Dance" by Freedom, "Super Sporm" by Captain Sky, "Who Is He & What Is He To You" by Creative Source, "Funky President" by James Brown, "Blow Your Head" by The JBs, "Johnny The Fox" by Thin Lizzy, "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man" by Dyke & The Blazers, "The Clapping Song" by Shirley Ellis, and "Get Ya Some" by Melvin Sparks. LP, Vinyl record album

Deep deep soul from Lorraine Ellison – a record that already shows quite a bit of growth from her earlier Warner Brothers recordings – and a new sense of hipness as well! There's definitely an influence here of the sound of Stax and Atlantic Records at the end of the 60s – all focused through the excellent production and songwriting of Jerry Ragovoy, who's a key influence on the record – and who really helps make it one of Lorraine's greatest moments ever! If you've ever wanted to dig Lorraine Ellison, this is definitely the place to start – as it's an album we'd easily stack next to the best from any of our favorite female deep soul singers. Tracks include the classic "Stay With Me", plus "I Want To Be Loved", "Heart Be Still", "You Don't Know Nothing About Love", and "The Hurt Came Back Again". CD

A really really wonderful little record – one that's far more than you might guess from it's slightly gimmicky title! The session's clearly done in a mode to resonate with the Charlie Byrd or Stan Getz bossa work of the early 60s, but it's also got a slightly offbeat quality that makes it really unique – a sound that partly comes from the use of three guitars by three relatively different players, and from the way that the tunes themselves are put together. There's almost a jam session feel at times here – with the guitars coming together in a tension of different voices, hardly the sort of thing you'd hear in a regular bossa album. But equally great is the tenor sax work of Bob Enevoldsen – which comes in with a sharper edge and a bit more soul than his 50s sides – creating a deeper quality to the tunes that's really great. Percussion is by a trio that includes Milt Holland, Bob Neel, and Chico Guerrero – and Donn Trenner plays piano and Bob Bertaux is on bass. Titles include "I Told Ya I Love Ya Now Get Out", "Sweet Dreams", "Bossa Nova #2", "Bossa Nova Samba", and "Leave It To Me". CD

John Ellis on tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet and alto flute, Adam Levy on electric and acoustic guitar, Glenn Patscha on piano, organ, and keyboard, Chris Morrissey on bass, and Dan Rieser on drums, with Stefan Bauer and Erin Donovan on vibraphone. CD

Deep deep soul from Lorraine Ellison – a record that already shows quite a bit of growth from her earlier Warner Brothers recordings – and a new sense of hipness as well! There's definitely an influence here of the sound of Stax and Atlantic Records at the end of the 60s – all focused through the excellent production and songwriting of Jerry Ragovoy, who's a key influence on the record – and who really helps make it one of Lorraine's greatest moments ever! If you've ever wanted to dig Lorraine Ellison, this is definitely the place to start – as it's an album we'd easily stack next to the best from any of our favorite female deep soul singers. Tracks include the classic "Stay With Me", plus "I Want To Be Loved", "Heart Be Still", "You Don't Know Nothing About Love", and "The Hurt Came Back Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Ellis Marsalis on piano, Derek Douget on tenor saxophone, Aslin Parker on trumpet, Jason Stewart on bass, and Stephen Gordon on drums. CD

The second album from The Paupers – a mix of searing guitar jams, more easygoing psychedelic pop bigger arrangements, even a little bit of a comic take on Byrdsy country rock– making for a pretty wild mix of sounds, but done with a focus on melodies and catchy grooves. The group is really stretching out and trying a lot of things on this second album, throwing caution into the wind as far as stylistic divergence goes, more often than not hitting the mark! Titles include "South Down Road", "Cairo Hotel", "Can't Go On", "Another Man's Hair On My Razor", "Ask Her Again" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Four incredible albums from Hammond legend Brian Auger – a key link between jazz and the headier sounds of the UK scene at the end of the 60s! First up is Open – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". Definitely What is a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". Streetwise is filled great funky grooves by the legendary Trinity group – featuring excellent keyboard work by Brian Auger, recorded during the period when he was really beginning to stretch out a bit, and hit a much more open-ended kind of sound. Julie Driscoll is still on vocals, singing in her raw sound, but Brian's Trinity group gets a fair number of nice instrumental moments on the set – which are greatly appreciated! Titles include the classic and sample laden "Light My Fire", "Czechoslovakia", "Finally Found You Out", "In Search Of The Sun", "Ellis Island", "I've Got Life", and "Save The Country". Befour is the third album from Brian Auger & The Trinity – and the first to feature the group recording without vocals from Julie Driscoll! The sound here is just as soulful as before – a tight take on American soul jazz and funky soul of the 60s – pushed along by Auger's mighty work on the Hammond organ, and featuring (this time around) some male lead vocals, which seem to give the album an even deeper feel than earlier work! Auger's included some great covers of American tunes like "I Want To Take You Higher", "Listen Here", and "Maiden Voyage" – all redone with some great Brit beat group touches – and the album also features a great take on Faure's "Pavane", and Auger's own "Just You Just Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best records that Chico Hamilton cut during the 50s – and one that features Eric Dolphy, who was with Chico's group for a short while! The record's got the quintet (which also includes the excellent Dennis Budimir on guitar) fronting larger string arrangements by Fred Katz (no longer their cellist, but still a key force here) – and the approach is a great expansion on the earlier styles that Chico forged for Pacific Jazz. The strings here are never sleepy, and instead have a dark and modern feel overall – similar to Ralph Burns' best work of the time, but a bit more restrained – and Eric Dolphy's reed work really keeps things interesting, with sharp-edged notes give most of the tracks a fair bit of depth. Titles include "Modes", "Strange", "Don's Delight", "Andante", "Fair Weather", "Something To Live For", and "Pottsville USA". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare set from vocalist Jane Harvey – a singer who managed to cut a handful of wonderful sides over the course of a few decades – none of them hits, but all of them great! This mid 60s session was cut in England with some mature backings from Ray Ellis – arrangements that are never too full or overdone, and which manage to lay back in surprising ways – leaving Harvey's vocals to resonate strongly in the echoey space of the studio! Some numbers have the voice quite upfront in the mix – much more so than other albums of this nature from the time – and the set's got a way of being bold and fragile at the same time, thanks to the care that Harvey brings to her vocals. Titles include "How Long Has This Been Going On", "My Ship", "The Glory Of Love", "It Never Entered My Mind", and "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry". LP, Vinyl record album

Let's forget for a second that Jimmy Radway's Dub I is just about one of the hardest to get pieces of Jamaican wax, so we can talk about what a fierce batch of rhythms we've got here! Add ET's deft hand at the console and you've got one mighty, mighty batch of drum and bass, with some nice licks of horns, keys and guitars dipping and ducking into the reverb-drenched dub stew, and you know you're in a for a treat! Releases on Radway's Fe Me label, as well as his productions for other small Jamaican indies are sought after for their deep roots sound, but unfortunately the original issue of this incredible dub set barely saw the light of day. Pressure Sounds keeps up the pressure with this long overdue reissue, and the band here includes Carlton Barrett, Family Man, Organ D Downie, Bobby Ellis, Dirty Harry, Cedric Im Brooks, Tommy McCook and Vin Gordon. 10 tracks in all, including "Black Rights", "Cinderella", "Micron Way", "Hell & Sorrow", "Awn Yah!", "Mother Liza", "Back To Africa", "She's Mine", "Wicked Have To Feel It" and "Black I Am". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive collection of genius from producer Joe Gibbs – work recorded in just over the pace of a year in the studio – served up here in a double-length collection of 48 tracks in all, 33 of which appear on CD for the first time ever! Joe Gibbs is a figure who hardly needs any sort of introduction – a landmark force in the studio who really helped transform Jamaican music, and help it to reach some deeper, more spiritual currents that really gave the music a huge global push at the time of these recordings. And as with some of his studio contemporaries, Gibbs was a non-stop powerhouse who never seemed to run out of ideas – as testified by the huge amount of material in this set! These aren't throwaway cuts, but a deep dig into the world of Gibbs, all killer all the way through – presented with the very high standards of the Doctor Bird label – with cuts from Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, The Heptones, Bongo Herman & Bonny, Derrick Morgan, Jackie Brown, Eddie Ford, Prince Francis, Augustus Pablo, Big Youth, The Ethiopians, Cat Campbell, Dillinger, Vin Gordon, The Senators, and even a few from Joe himself. CD

A pretty amazing set from Esther Phillips – her final album for Kudu – and a beautiful mix of soaring soul sounds from one the most unique, emotionally-inflected soul vocalists of her era! Esther's in prime Kudu mode here – working with jazzy arrangements by David Matthews and Pee Wee Ellis, adding her unique, grit-inflected soul chanteuse vocals to a smoother mix of instrumentation that creates a perfect counterpoint that took her way past her earlier work! There's also a couple of really sweet disco skewed numbers that work incredibly well – with spacier bits of synth and a dancefloor soul bed of percussion and rhythms – and in general, the arrangements are pretty great from track-to-track! Players include Randy Brecker and Mike Brecker on trumpet and tenor sax, Bray Miles on synthesizer, Bobby Lyle on clavinet, Eric Gale on guitar, Joe Farrell on tenor sax and alto flute, percussionist Ralph MacDonald and other excellent name musicians and others bring a grand sweep and sweeter intimacy when the mood requires. Titles include "Magic's In The Air", "A Beautiful Friendship", "Boy I Really Tied One On", "Higher & Higher", and "All The Way Down". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest jazz pairings on the LA scene in the early 60s – presented here in a 2CD set with nearly 4 albums' worth of material! First up is the well-titled Remarkable Carmell Jones – one of the few sessions cut as a leader by trumpeter Carmell Jones – a wonderfully talented player from LA, who was one of the leading lights in that city's hardbop scene during the early 60s! The set grooves like the best Blue Note sessions of the time – Jones leading a combo that features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Night Tide", "Sad March", and "Stellisa". Next is the album Hear Ye, recorded for Atlantic in 1962, under the leadership of Land and Red Mitchell – a nice set from the LA hard bop/soul jazz underground – and it features great solo work by Land, Frank Strazzeri, and the underrecorded trumpet genius Carmell Jones! The album's got a lot more to offer than meets the eye – and is filled with lively lyrical original compositions like "Comara", "Pari Passu", "Catacomb", and "Triplin Awhile". The whole thing's a great bridge between Land's earlier sessions under his own name, and his later, similar partnership with Bobby Hutcherson. Next up are 4 titles from the album Business Meetin – the tracks on that set that only feature a small group with Jones and Land in the company of Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Donald Dean on drums – on tracks that include "That's Good", "Suearl", "Hip Trolley", and "Beautiful Love". Last up is the album Jazz Impressions Of Folk Music, originally issued under Land's name for Imperial Records – and part of a short-lived early 60s attempt to make jazz cash in on the folk boom. Despite what might seem like a cheap gimmick, the set actually sounds great – grooving with a soulful swing, in that LA underground mode that always made for Land's best recordings. The group includes the great Carmell Jones on trumpet, plus Jimmy Bond bass, John Houston piano, and Mel Lee on drums. Titles include "Blue Tail Fly", "Tom Dooley", "Scarlet Ribbons", and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine". CD

Lawrence Ochs on saxophone, Lisle Ellis on bass, and Donald Robinson on drums – plus guest trumpet from Dave Douglas and Wadada Leo Smith! CD

Tremendous R&B work from the legendary Gee Records – one of a handful of labels owned by legendary producer George Goldner, all of which had a strong impact on American music in the pre-soul years! Goldner was really blessed with a golden ear, and this collection shows his great ability to pick out the best up and coming work at the time – not just artists who went onto chart strongly, but even better lesser-knowns who recorded for Gee and left behind only a few singles. The collection focuses strongly on the soul, R&B, and vocal group work of Gee during the 50s and early 60s – and the 2CD package features a total of 63 tunes plus great notes on the material! Titles include "Perfidia" by Lorraine Ellis & The Crows, "What I Say" by Oliver Jones, "Brown" by Eddie Tex Curtis, "Change Of Time" by The Emanons, "China Doll" by The Downbeats, "Heaven Above Me" by The Jets, "Ding Dong" by The Echoes, "Baby Baby" by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, "When I Found You" by The Heartbeats, "I Believe I Love You" by Jimmy Mack, "Timber" by Curtis Carrington, "Love Me" by The Suburbans, "Just Cry" by The Regents, and "So Many Tears Ago" by The Squires. CD

The Ex are not only among the relative minority of noise rock groups that age like a fine bourbon – it could be argued that they became even better when they decided to take on ambitious collaborative projects! This early 90s collaboration with cellist Tom Cora succeeds so well because The Ex never abandons the explosive style they made their mighty name upon. Cora's participation enables some folksier, lilting moments – but the sound is still a trembling cannon with a lit fuse – one that can blow at any moment. Tracks include "Dere Geliyor Dere", "The Big Black", "What's The Story", "Lamp Lady", "New Clear Daze", "Empty V", "Oh Puckerlips Now", "Okinawa Mon Amour", "Conviction Going Gaga", "Stupid Competitions" and more! CD

Pure genius from The Ex, whose revolutionary style of noise punk (in the aural sense and in agenda) is firing masterfully on this early 90s set – making aggressive, tuneful, caustic and consistently riveting magic with the accompaniment of cellist Tom Cora! At a time when the so-called alternative rock boom was taking over in the American mainstream, Terrie, Katrin & co were showing those in the now how it's really done, starting in the early-to-mid 80s and as vital as ever in '91 and well beyond. Titles include "State Of Shock", "King Commie", "Crusoe", "A Door", "Propadada", "Total Preparation", "Fire And Ice" and more. CD