Cootie Williams on trumpet, Abraham 'Boomie' Richman, Al Klink, Elwyn Fraser, Nick Caizza, Phil Bodner, Romeo Penque, and Stanley Webb on saxophone, Billy Byers, Bobby Byrne, Lou McGarity, and Richard Hixson on trombone, Hank Jones, Henry Rowland, and Lou Stein on piano, Barry Galbraith, George Barnes, and Tony Mottola on guitar, Eddie Safranski on bass, and Don Lamond, and Osie Johnson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. Volume 3 is overflowing with amazing sounds from the heart of the 60s – rare 45rpm tracks by Atlantic stars, Stax artists, and a few lesser-knowns too. Titles include "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "Help Me (parts 1 & 2)" by Ray Sharpe, "Long Distance Love" by Ted Taylor, "Lonely Soldier" by Mike Williams, "How Can You Babysit A Man" by Ned Towns, "Keep Looking" by Solomon Bourke, "I'm Sorry" by Fred Lowrey, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Share What You Got" by William Bell, "Reputation" by The Four Shells, "Me & My Baby" by Mary Wells, "Got No One" by The Delcardos, "Weak Spot" by Ruby Johnson, "Good Love Bad Love" by Eddie Floyd, "Bingo" by Ned Towns, "I Had A Dream" by Johnny Taylor, "I Can't Take It" by Ray Sharpe, "You Can't Love Them All" by The Drifters, "Believe It Or Not" by Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers, "Patch My Heart" by The Mad Lads, "She's The One I Love" by The Delcardos, "Find Me Somebody" by Bobby Womack, "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "So Much Love" by Ben E King, "Help The Bear" by Ted Taylor, and "I Feel A Sin Coming On" by Solomon Burke. CD

Includes music from the Mad Lads, William Bell, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, Rufus Thomas, Ruby Johnson, Johnnie Taylor, Booker T, and more – 25 tracks in all! CD

A funky little collection, and one that's got way more going on than just the blues 45s mentioned in the title – as the cuts here include some great instrumentals and soulful work as well! We loved the previous volumes in this series, and this one is every bit as smoking – a mix of cuts we never would have put together ourselves, and which sound stunningly great together – pulled from a time when the worlds of blues, funk, and soul weren't as separate as they became in later years – when fans of a funky 45 would just reach out for anything that was good, greasy, and gritty. Titles include "Harmonica Boogie" by The Confiners, "Hotel Blues" by Eddie Boyd, "For Liz" by Andrew Brown, "All Nite (part 2)" by Big Eddie C Campbell, "You Better Cut That Out" by Eddie Burns, "Sting Ray" by Mack Johnson, "Sunny Side Of Love" by Raful Neal, "Down In The Chile" by The Wild Child, "Rock" by Chuck Higgins, "67 Blues" by Little Willie Pollard, and "You Don't Believe A Word I Say" by Big Daddy Simpson. CD

Rare 78 rpm recordings from Fess Williams, Taylor's Dixie Orchestra, Ross Deluxe Syncopators, Eddie Johnson's Crackerjacks, Williamson's Beale Street Frolics Orchestra, Jimmie Lunceford & his Chickensaw Syncopators, Mart Britt, Blue Steele, Andy Kirk & his Twelve Clouds of Joy, and Slatz Randall. CD

With selections by King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators, New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers, Red Nicols & His Five Pennies, Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, Jelly Roll Mortion, Pine Top Smith, James P Johnson, Elmer Schoebel's Friar Society Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Eddie Lang & Joe Venuti, and Duke Ellington. LP, Vinyl record album

Sammy Davis Jr is looking pretty darn hip on the cover – and all the artists inside are sounding pretty darn hip as well – coming together during the glory days of soul jazz, at a time when blues, vocals, and R&B were also criss-crossing into other styles too! There's an upbeat, soul-drenched, ultra-cool vibe to the whole thing – not too-familiar retro jazz numbers, but instead a wealth of rare cuts that often come from the sort of 7" singles that change hands for big money in the funky 45 underground, next to obscure album cuts too – mixed with the kind of unreleased material that the Ace/Kent label has always done such a good job of digging up! The package explodes with groovy musical delights – and titles include "What Is love" by Bobby Jenkins, "Out House" by Eddie Bridges & His Lowriders, "Empire City" by Gene Walker & The Combo, "Pushin The Button Of Soul" by Hank Jacobs, "Fat Man" by Montego Joe, "The Bold" by Russell Evans & The Nite Hawks, "Hey Mrs Jones" by Jimmy Witherspoon, "Poppa Nickel" by The Tempo Rhythms, "Sherry's Party" by Ray Johnson, "Hot Tamale Man" by Harold Betters, "Shank & Grits" by Ray Shanklin, "Pluckin" by Jimmy Mayes & The Soul Breed, "East 24th Ave" by Billy Graham & The Escalators, and "Do The Thing" by Gate Wesley. CD

Features work by Charles Avery, Eddie Miller, John Oscar, Stump Johnson, Bob Call, Henry Brown, and Judson Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by Lonnie Johnson, Carl Kress, John Cali, Tony Guttouso, Eddie Lang, and Dick McDonough! LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of work from the underside of the Chicago recording scene of the 60s – tracks from the rougher, bluesier west side scene of the time! The work on the set comes from the Federal/King catalog, and not from Chicago labels – and most of it was produced by Sonny Thompson, in a style that's like his own R&B work, which always played big with Chicago crowds during the period. Most of the tunes date from the early 60s, but follow in modes that have lots of rougher 50s touches – often recorded with some nice echoey production that does a really great job of bringing out the looser spirit of the work. Titles include "I Resign From Your Love" and "Well Oh Well" by Syl Johnson, "Gibble Gobble" and "Got A Feelin" by Willie Wright & The Sparklers, "You're Welcome To The Club" and "When You Move You Lose" by Lee Shot Williams, "Twist Like This" and "I Was Gone" by Eddie Clearwater, "How Long Has It Been" by Jesse Anderson, and "I'm Tired Of Being Tossed Around" by Danny Overbea. CD

One of the hippest funky jazz combos of the 70s – stepping out here in their amazing debut for Cobblestone records! Catalyst had a groove that was unlike most of their contemporaries – a sound that was often jazzier than some of the tighter funk artists on labels like Kudu or Prestige, with some deeply spiritual leanings in the solos – but also a style that was still pretty tight and focused, not as far out as some of the headier groups on the Strata East label. There's loads of great choppy rhythms and tight-edged grooves on the record – thanks to Fender Rhodes from Eddie Green, reeds from Odeon Pope, bass from Al Johnson, and drums and percussion from Sherman Ferguson. Skip Drinkwater produced the session at Sigma Sound, and it's definitely got some of his hallmark appreciation of rhythm in the mix – on titles that include "Ain't It The Truth", "New Found Truths", "East", "Catalyst Is Coming", "Jabali", and "Salaam". LP, Vinyl record album

With Norman Simmons on piano, Norris Turney on alto, Budd Johnson on tenor, Eddie Locke on drums, Ted Sturgis on bass, and Milt Jackson on vibes. LP, Vinyl record album

Three sets and three different lineups! The album opens with a duet with Eddie Gomez, just piano and bass, which expands to a trio with drummer Eliot Zigmund in the second set. The final set shifts to an entirely different lineup with regular collaborators Marc Johnson on bass and John LaBarbera on drums – plus guest harmonica from Toots Thielemans! CD

Rough-edged blues from the west side of Chicago – a stone classic from the mighty Magic Sam – a player who was taken from us all too soon! On the west side, they mix plenty of soul in with their blues – and you can definitely hear that on this stone smoker – a record that has roots in the same scene as Syl Johnson, whose modes definitely creep into the groove at times! Sam's combo here is mighty nice – with Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano, and Mighty Joe Young on guitar – and titles include "Stop You're Hurting Me", "Easy Baby", "What Have I Done Wrong", "It's All Your Fault", "You Belong To Me", "You Don't Love Me Baby", and "San Jose". LP, Vinyl record album

42 rare gems from the Motown vaults – an incredible treasure trove of unreleased material! The package follows beautifully on the heels of the first Cellarful Of Motown volume – but also manages to go even deeper, and get beyond the better-known "lost" Motown tracks, into a realm of soul music treasures that we never would have expected! The whole thing's great – overflowing with tunes so great, you'll find yourself scratching your head as to why Motown never issued these back in the 60s – and will turn towards the label with a whole new level of respect for all the greatness they still managed to record underneath their more familiar hits. The 2CD set also comes with a great booklet that offers track-by-track notes on the tunes – and a selection of cuts that includes "Take My Hand" by Dalton Boys, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Eddie Holland, "All Day All Night" by Earl Van Dyke, "A Woman Just Won't Do Right" by Shorty Long, "I've Gotta Get Away" by Tommy Good, "Show Girl" by The Vows, "I Can't Get Along Without You" by The Monitors, "I Hope You Have Better Luck Than I Did" by The Marvelettes, "My Heart" by Tammi Terrell, "Where Is the Love" by Rita Wright, "Those DJ Shows" by Patrice Holloway, "Rescue Me" by Blinky, "I Can't Go On Sharing Your Love" by The Isley Brothers, "Choo Choo Train" by Little Lisa, "In The Dark" by The Creations, "Love Trouble Heartache & Misery" by Hatti Littles, "Positively Absolutely Right" by The Temptations, and "Let's Talk It Over" by Marv Johnson. CD

A sweet little Count Basie get together – one of those small group sessions from the 70s, which made some of these later years of his career such a delight! The album's nicely relaxed – in the best Pablo Records way – almost an extension of the Verve swing modes of the 50s, when players really got to open up more on their solos – but maybe with a bit more Basie bite in the groove, too! The Count's on piano – and the group features Clark Terry and Harry Edison on trumpets, Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor, Budd Johnson on tenor and baritone, Freddie Green on guitar, John Clayton on bass, and Gus Johnson drums. The Green/Basie sense of rhythm is as impeccable as always – and titles include "Ode To Pres", "Basie's Bag", "Like It Used To be", "Swinging On The Cusp", and "My Main Men". CD

Howard Johnson on baritone saxophone and tuba, Jeff Chambers on bass, Donald Bailey and Eddie Marshall on drums, Randy Vincent on guitar, George Cables on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Mel Martin on tenor and soprano saxophone and flute, and Warren Gale on trumpet and flugelhorn. CD

James Moody on alto and tenor saxophone, Pee Wee Moore on baritone saxophone, William Shepherd on trombone, Dave Burns on trumpet, Jimmy Boyd and Sadik Hakim on piano, John Lathan on bass, Clarence Johnson and Joe Harris on drums, with vocals from Eddie Jefferson and Iona Wade. CD

Freddie Roach always makes a good move on his Blue Note sessions – going for a lean and tight style on the organ that never fails to please! On this set, he's working with a mixed group of hardbop and soul jazz players that includes two Blue Note heavyweights – Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Hank Mobley on tenor – key proof that the label really thought a lot of Roach's playing at the time, and a great way to hear Mobley open up with a Hammond – which he doesn't always do! The rest of the group also features Eddie Wright on guitar and Clarence Johnson on drums – all moving with Freddie on some tight tracks that have a triple punch of organ, tenor, and trumpet! Titles include "Wine Wine Wine", "I.Q. Blues", "On Our Way Up", and "Pastel". LP, Vinyl record album

Tony Scott plays with his septet, which includes Eddie Wasserman on tenor, Danny Banks on baritone, Jimmy Nottingham on trumpet, Billy Byers on trombone, Milt Hinton on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Stitt hits the Varitone for Roulette, and while his work isn't as funky as that of Eddie Harris or Lou Donaldson, the instrument lets him get in a nice raw tone, with a good honest edge that comes through despite backing by a largeish group. Other players include Ernie Hayes on organ, Walter Perkins on drums, and JJ Johnson on trombone – and the set includes short tracks like "Round Midnight", "Beastly Blues", "Jumpin With Symphony Sid", and "Morgan's Song". LP, Vinyl record album

With Eddie Costa on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard soul galore – a killer batch of upbeat vintage soul tunes – all pulled together from the wide range of many projects the Numero Group has handled over the years! This is the label's way of answering back to some of those overseas collections of American soul from the 60s – showing that Numero is every bit as well-tuned to the needs of Northern Soul clubbers and collectors as imprints like Ace/Kent, Outta Sight, and some of the other British labels! The package features a whopping 20 tracks in all – sock-soul groovers that you might have missed between the overstuffed track listings of other Numero compilations – sounding really great here together in the company of each other. Titles include "Wait A Minute" by Eddie Ray, "You Are My Sunshine" by Jerry Townes, "I'm Ready For Love" by Otis Brown, "Little Girl Blue" by The Webs, "Demanding Man" by The Sensations, "You're Not Loving A Beginner" by Jessie Fisher, "Do You Know What Love Is" by Syl Johnson, "Your Love Makes Me Lonely" by The Chandlers, "Stubborn Heart" by Earnest Mosley, "Look Around" by Two Plus Two, "Just Fun" by Brown Bombers & Soul Partners, and "Do The Pearl Girl (part 2)" by Matta Baby. CD

Includes music by Amos Milburn, Lafayette Leake, Dr. John, Eddie Boyd, Johnnie Johnson, Omar Shariff, Memphis Slim, Detroit Junior, Katie Webster, Blind John Davis, and more – 31 tracks in all! CD

Music from Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang, Texas Alexander, Sylvester Weaver, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Casey Bill Weldon, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Joshua White, and Tampa Red. 20 track total – including 5 previously unissued cuts. CD

Features Dinah Washington, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Roy Byrd, Buddy & Ella Johnson, Louis Jordan, and Clyde McPhatter. CD

An all-star jam session from Montreux in 1973 – recorded in true Verve style by the great Norman Granz, Count Basie at the head of a group that includes Louie Bellson, Ray Brown, JJ Johnson, Harry Edison, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, and Zoot Sims! Tracks are nice lengthy rakes of Basie classics, with plenty of solo space – a bit tighter than a more traditional jam session, probably because the players get along so well together! 5 numbers in all, including "Doubling The Blues", "Hanging Out", "Red Bank Blues", "One-Nighter" and "Freeport Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound, the studio referenced in the title of the album, and presented in a wonderful cover image that has Cher standing outside the tiny facility with a host of legendary studio players that include Eddie Hinton, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Beckett, and Roger Hawkins! Sonny's also standing in the crowd in the photo, but he's as in the background as he is on this set – as Cher's singing alone in a soul-styled mode that's befits the setting of the album. Titles include a funky take on "I Walk On Guilded Splinters", plus "For What It's Worth", "Cry Like A Baby", "Save The Children", "Do Right Woman", and "Dock Of The Bay". Plus, the CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 11 more numbers from a whole second Muscle Shoals album, but which was never issued – with titles that include "Momma Look Sharp", "Chastity's Song", "It Gets Me Where I Want To Go", "Easy To Be Hard", "I Believe", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "The First Time". CD

Nat King Cole as a leader and a sideman – incredible material from 1936-1946 – featuring the King Cole Trio, side work with Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers, Dexter Gordon, The Keynoters and The Lester Young Trio! There's a number of great tunes here with Nat singing, but also a whole bunch of recordings that shine a light on his impeccable work as a group piano player of the finest caliber, working as Nat King Cole and under some funny pseudonyms while he was recording hits for Capitol! Packaged stunningly, even by Hip-O Select Standards – essentially housing the CDs in a hardcover book of 31-pages with an essay by David Ritz, 7 3/8" square package with detailed session notes, and beautifully reproduced art work from original 78s and 10-inch LPs! Disc one features 17 tracks by the King Cole Trio with Nat singing and at the piano, with Oscar Moore on guitar and and Wesley Prince on bass: "Sweet Lorraine", "This Side Up", "Babs", "Scotchin' With The Soda", "Slow Down", "Hit That Jive, Jack" and more. Disc one also includes 5 tracks with Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers, with Nat on piano, Eddie Cole on bass, Kenneth Roane on trumpet, Tommy Thompson on saxes and Jimmy Adams on drums:" Honey Hush" (with Eddie on vocals) plus an alternate take, "Thunder", "Stompin' At The Panama" and "(Bedtime) Sleep, Baby Sleep". Last up on disc one, four tracks by the Keynoters with Willie Smith on alto, Nat as Lord Calvert on piano, Red Callender on bass and Jackie Mills on drums: "The Way You Look Tonight", "My Old Flame" and more. Disc 2 is comprised of Jazz At The Philharmonic: Los Angeles, July 1944, with collective personal including Nat as Shorty Nadine on piano and singing on "Sweet Lorraine", Shorty Sherlock on trumpet, JJ Johnson on trombone, Illinois Jacquet and Jack McVea on tenor, Red Callender on bass, Lee Young on drums, and Carolyn Richards singing on "The Man I Love". Other titles include "Blues", "Tea For Two", "Rosetta", "Bugle Call Rag", "Oh, Lady, Be Good!" and more. Disc 3 starts with 1943/44 material by Dexter Gordon's group featuring Nat on piano, Sweets Edison on trumpet, Gordon on tenor, Red Callender or Johnny Miller on bass and Clifford Owens on drums: "I've Found A New Baby", "I Blowed And Gone" and more. That's followed by Lester Young Trio material of similar vintage with Nat as Aye Guy on piano, Young on Tenor and Buddy Rich on drums: "I Cover The Water Front", "The Man I Love", "Peg Of My Heart" and more. Last, but not least, Keynoters alternate takes including "The You You Look Tonight", "Airiness A La Nat" and "I can't Believe That You're In Love With Me". CD

We think this guy's one of the best new jazz vocalist to emerge over the past decade, and this album – his 4th for Blue Note – is far and away his best! The album was recorded live at Chicago's Green Mill nightclub – with nice small combo backing by Laurence Hobgood, Rob Amster, and Michael Raynor, plus guest horn work by Von Freeman, Eddie Johnson, and Ed Peterson. Kahil El'Zabar also plays percussion, and Jon Hendricks joins in on vocals a bit. But the best part is Elling's voice – which is a sweet mix between Mark Murphy at his best, and earlier vocalese masters, like Hendricks or Joe Lee Wilson. The album features mostly straight-ahead jazz vocalizing – with little of the hipster monologues that have ruined other Elling albums – and it includes an incredible version of Wayne Shorter's "Night Dreamer", plus the cuts "Oh My God", "Esperanto", "My Foolish Heart", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and the King Pleasure classic "Don't Get Scared". A real treat – especially if you like Cleveland Watkiss' Green Chimneys album, or any of the good Mark Murphy recordings for Muse! CD

Wonderful work by Oscar Pettiford! Manhattan Jazz Septette is a nice mid 50s effort from– with a sound that ranges from an easy-going, lightly swinging style to full on, dexterous workouts! The arrangements by Manny Alban really allows for a lot of tight grooving from a stellar group – including Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Osie Johnson on drums, Urbie Green on trombone, Hal McKusick on alto, and Eddie Costa on piano and vibes! Titles include "King Porter Stomp", "Never Never Land", "Like Listen", "Rapid Transit", the great Herbie Mann showcase "Flute Cocktail", My Shining Hour" and more. CD

The Staple Singers are cooking on all burners at this point – and it's hard to stop them with that much power – a soaring, searing sort of energy that definitely earns them a place in the sky! The set's a totally strong batch of gospelly soul tracks – produced by Al Bell with that great early 70s Stax deep soul sound – at a point that's still without the sort of cliche that might hold back material of this type in later years. Instrumentation is by Clayton Ivey on Hammond, Barry Beckett on keyboards, and Jimmy Johnson and Eddie Hinton on guitar – and titles include "Getting Too Big For Your Britches", "Today Was Tomorrow Yesterday", "Something Ain't Right", "My Main Man", "Blood Pressure", "Who Made The Man", "Back Road Into Town", and "If It Ain't One Thing It's Another". CD features 4 bonus tracks – "Oh La De Da", "I Like The Things About You", "Respect Yourself", and "I'll Take You There". CD

Two early 60s albums from trumpeter Clark Terry – with Budd Johnson on tenor, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and George Barrow on baritone! CD

One of the best ever records from Twennynine – produced and arranged by Lenny White & Larry Dunn– jazzy modern soul at it's dawn of the decade finest! Twennynine With Lenny White is way at the front of the pack of a lot of the 80s groove elements to follow in its wake – with popping basslines, heavy bass pedals, compressed guitar riffs and a really insistent overall groove! The record's got a pretty straight R&B feel, but thanks to White's nice production, there's a lot of good fusion elements in the mix – which raises the album a step above, and makes it groove nicely. The group features keyboards by Skip Anderson, doing a great job stepping in for Don Blackman, with lead vocals by Tanya Willoughby, synths by Larry Dunn, percussion by Paulinho De Costa, guitar by Eddie Martinez, bass by Barry Johnson and others. Titles include "My Melody", "Kid Stuff", "Fancy Dancer", "Slip Away", "We Had To Break Away", and "Love & Be Loved". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent overview of the second half of the short run of the Ric & Ron labels – tiny imprints from New Orleans in the early years of soul music, but a crucial force in the development of the Crescent City sound! The work here is mostly from the early 60s, and really shows New Orleans soul coming into its own – finding a way to fuse together all the rich array of sounds, styles, and cultural influences that made the sound of the city so unique – with lots of romping rhythms, deeply soulful vocals, and some mad piano lines that really add that signature New Orleans touch! Nearly every cut here is a winner, and this Ace Records presentation of the label's legacy is easily the best treatment of Ric & Ron we've ever seen. The set features 24 tracks – including some rare and unissued numbers – and titles include "Send Me Your Picture" by Bobby Mitchell, "A Losing Battle" by Johnny Adams, "Unemployed" by Warren Lee, "Check Mr Popeye" by Eddie Bo, "Honest I Do" by Tommy Ridgley, "I Guess I Always Will" by Jimmy Easterling, "I Don't Talk Too Much" by Martha Carter, "The Git Back (part 1)" by Guitar Joe Morris, "Question Of Love (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, and "Carnival Time (demo)" by Al Johnson. CD

Includes selections by Al Johnson, Lenny Capello, Eddie Bo, Johnny Adams, Joe Jones, Martha Nelson, Tommy Ridgley, Edgar Blanchard, and The Velvetiers. LP, Vinyl record album

The roots of modern jazz never sounded this great before – and this is the first time ever that all the early bop recordings by Savoy have been properly brought together in one place! Savoy was one of the most important labels to record the early bop pioneers – and had a dedication to the music that begin in 1945, and moved well into the 50s – as the label captured some of the brightest young stars who'd go onto shape a generation! Almost all of this material was originally issued just as 78rpm singles – then later scattered and repackaged in a confusing way – although many tracks here also never made it into the LP or CD generation, either. The folks at Mosaic have worked incredible magic to correct that error – and have pulled together a stunning 10CD package that finally presents this amazing legacy of music in its proper form – complete with notes and session details that were never given in later years, too. There's way too much here to list in this space – but the set features dates recorded under the name of Dexter Gordon, Fats Navarro, Stan Getz, JJ Johnson, Sonny Stitt & Kenny Dorham's Bebop Boys, Allen Eager, Kai Winding, Ray Brown, Eddie Davis, Serge Chaloff, Kenny Hagood, Leo Parker, Tadd Dameron, Teddy Reig, Brew Moore, Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke, and Gil Fuller – all with groups that are filled with equally hip and important musicians too. We love Mosaic all the time – but with a collection of 78rpm material, they really knock it out of the park – and do us, and the jazz history books, a mighty big favor! CD

This is it! A pretty darn complete document of one of the greatest soul labels of all time – put together in a wonderful box with a book on the label that's almost as great as the music on the 9CDs in the set! This one established a new standard for box sets when it was issued in 1991, and it was the first time you could really get a clear picture of the great work of Stax without spending a lifetime tracking down obscure singles. A portion of this work will be familiar to you – as it includes classic tunes by the likes of Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, The Bar-Kays, Booker T & The MGs, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, and others – but there's also a wealth of amazing soul by artists who recorded for Stax and Volt, yet never made it big on the charts, and never cut full albums for the label. Just a small amount of these folks include The Memphis Nomads, Jeanne & The Darlings, Derek Martin, Barbara & The Browns, Eddie Jefferson, The Tonettes, Macy Skipper, The Premiers, Sir Isaac & The Do-Dads, Ruby Johnson, Bobby Wilson, Eddie Purrell, Sir Mack Rice, and many others. A lifetime of listening in one box – and an essential set if you dig 60s soul! This is the nicely compact jewel case version – 9CDs in a box that's roughly 6" square. CD

Music from the Coeds, the Class Notes, the Paramounts, the Jades, Eddie Curtis, the Scholars, Ray Johnson, the Daylighters, Jeff Stevens, the Scholars, Brian Davis, and more – 25 tracks in all. CD

Saint Etienne have brought us a number of wonderful compilations over the years – both in this format for Ace Records, and their work on their own great Croydon Municipal label – yet as much as we've loved all those others, we may well love this one the best – as it's a sublime blend of 60s soul, tear-stained pop, and cool numbers with a New York sort of sound! The focus is mostly on tracks from the mid 60s – and the work here often feels like the special sort of tracks the Brill Building talents might have been working on into the night, before stepping down to the Carnegie Deli for a snack – the kind of special songs that were often too sophisticated to make the charts, but which stand out all these many years later as true moments of genius from the 60s. As usual with a Saint Etienne set, there's a huge amount here we've never heard before – all given proper presentation by Ace Records, along with a full booklet of notes. Titles include "Night Hawk" by The Valli Boys, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Sharp, "Up On The Bridge" by The Chiffons, "Don't" by Marva Josie, "I'm Your Man" by Chuck Jackson, "Boy You Love Me" by Joan Moody, "Catch Me In The Meadow" by The Tradewinds, "He's A Lover" by Tutti Hill, "Let's Stop Fooling Ourselves" by Eddie Jones, "Is This The Way To Treat A Girl" by The Hesitations, "Summer's Comin In" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, and "Park Avenue" by Lou Johnson. CD

Swan Records was a real powerhouse of Philly Soul back in the 60s – a label whose efforts really set the scene for countless more Philly achievements to come! Swan was primarily a pop label – with some big hits (including early US release of Beatles singles) to its name – but the company was also on the scene to cut some of the best soul in Philadelphia as the 60s got going – a great deal of which is brought together on this set! Swan's sides often have a Northern Soul vibe that rivals the best of Detroit, especially labels away from Motown – and the pop experience gave the label a quality of production and professionalism that few other labels could match! Yet there's also no pop commercialism here, either – as these sides often step back and really let the artist do their thing – as you'll hear on 26 tracks that include "Everybody Crossfire" by Sammy Stevens, "Gotta Draw The Line" by The Three Degrees, "Have Faith In Me" by Sugar & Spice, "Put Yourself In My Place" by Azie Mortimer, "In Love" by Tony Galla & The Rising Sons, "Misery" by Eddie Carlton, "Run Run" by The Persianettes, "You're Everything" by The Showmen, "Put That Woman Down" by John Leach, "Who Do You Love" by The Sapphires, "Handsome Boy" by The Ladybirds, "Trying To Find My Baby" by Troy Dodds, and "Two Steps Ahead" by Herb Johnson. CD

A key force in the development of New Orleans soul – the homegrown Ric & Ron Records label – home to some of the best early productions from the Crescent City! The roster of talent here is really amazing – a host of artists who'd go onto develop the New Orleans style even more strongly in the 60s, mixed with some lesser-knowns who really sparkle in this setting – sharp, tight, damn soulful singles that are all delivered without any overproduction, and nicely free of all those cliches that would later overwhelm music from the Big Easy. The rhythms alone are worth the price of the record – hard-romping piano, bass, and drums that really set an instrumental fire right from the start – then pave the way for searing lead performances from the singers and instrumental stars. The set's the best we've ever seen of these early days of the label – and features 24 tracks that include "Tell It Like It Is" by Eddie Bo, "Easy Rockin" by Eddie Lang, "I Love You Still" by Joe Jones, "Come On" by Johnny Adams, "Don't Lie To Me" by Mercy Adams, "Don't Mess With My Man" by Irma Thomas, "Carnival Time" by Al Johnson, "Nobody Knows" by Martha Carter, "All Nite Long (parts 1 & 2)" by Robert Parker, "Cuttin Out" by Professor Longhair, "Let's Get It" by Edgar Blanchard, and "Rocket To The Moon" by Chris Kenner. CD

Hard-hitting trio work from Ray – one of his early albums for Columbia, and the record that gave him a surprisingly big hit! "Little Susie" is one of those early 60s soul jazz standards, the kind of catchy tune that got played all over the place on radio, and which forever put the artist at the top of the list for recording dates and live sets for a few years. Ray's riding high here – with a trio that features brother Tommy Bryant on bass, and either Eddie Locke or Gus Johnson on drums – and the album's got lots of other short tracks with a similar down-home soul jazz kind of approach. Titles include "Blues For Norrie", "Big Buddy", "Greensleeves", and "If I Can Just Make It". LP, Vinyl record album

With Thad Jones on trumpet, George Duvivier on bass, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Osie Johnson on Drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Yusef Ali, Joey Baron, Tyrone Brown, Richard Davis, Ralph Dorsey, Sherman Ferguson, Gil Goldstein, Eddie Green, Jabali Billy Hart, Billy Higgins, Marc Johnson, Bob Kenmotsu, Steve LaSpina, Jimmy Lewis, James Ridl, Bobby Rose, Bill Stewart, Ron Thomas and Carl Wilson, CD

Freddie Roach always makes a good move on his Blue Note sessions – going for a lean and tight style on the organ that never fails to please! On this set, he's working with a mixed group of hardbop and soul jazz players that includes two Blue Note heavyweights – Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Hank Mobley on tenor – key proof that the label really thought a lot of Roach's playing at the time, and a great way to hear Mobley open up with a Hammond – which he doesn't always do! The rest of the group also features Eddie Wright on guitar and Clarence Johnson on drums – all moving with Freddie on some tight tracks that have a triple punch of organ, tenor, and trumpet! Titles include "Wine Wine Wine", "I.Q. Blues", "On Our Way Up", and "Pastel". CD

Joe Wilder on trumpet, Oscar Pettiford on bass, Osie Johnson drums on all groups plus on Fats George Wallington on piano, Nick Travis on trumpet, Eddie Bert & Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Aaron Sachs on tenor sax plus on Bix Joe Soldo on flute, Danny Bank on clarinet, Harold Goltzer on basoon, Jim Buffington on french horn, Barry Galbraith on guitar, plus on Duke/Talbert Herb Geller, Joe Soldo, Aaron Sachs & Danny Bank on reeds, Jim Buffington on french horn, Eddie Bert on trombone, Barry Galbraith on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done package that celebrates the key contributions that Savoy Records made to the field of jazz on record – as the New Jersey company was one of the first to record the new wave of bebop in the late 40s, and quickly unleashed the music of Charlie Parker and his contemporaries on a host of famous 78rpm singles at the time! This set features many of those key 78 recordings, but focuses on their presentation in a series of 10" LP releases that Savoy did in the early 50s – vinyl packages that compiled the earlier shellac sides into a more durable format – and presented the key efforts that the label made in helping bebop get out of the clubs and onto the turntable! As with other Craft Records packages, the presentation is great – and really upgrades other reissues of the material with great sound, notes, and artwork that really live up to the contents within. 2CD set features new mastering of the material, alongside notes and photos – with classic material recorded under the leadership of Milt Jackson, Leo Parker, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, JJ Johnson, Charlie Parker, Kai Winding, Allen Eager, Budd Johnson, Fats Navarro, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Roy Porter, and Serge Chaloff! CD

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! CD features 8 more bonus tracks – recorded at the same time, and first issued on the Mosaic set Complete Roulette Live Recordings – titles that include "Easin It", "Corner Pocket", "Discommotion", "Whirly Bird (inst)", "I Needs To Be Bee'd With", and "A Little Tempo Please". CD

Some folks might associate Philadelphia soul with the famous Gamble & Huff productions of the 70s disco years – but the city was already overflowing with great music in the years before Philadelphia International – as you'll hear in this totally groovy set! Philly was making as much great soul music in the 60s as Detroit, Chicago, and New York – thanks to an earlier musical framework that was set up by the city's big pop hits of the late 50s – which provided plenty of labels, studios, and other facilities for Philly's ever-growing array of soul talents, too – so much so that by the end of the 60s, the city was turning into a destination for singers outside of town – almost as much of a musical magnet as studios in Memphis or Muscle Shoals! This set does a great job of bringing together both aspects of that scene – wonderful homegrown talent, mixed with outsiders to really took off in the new Philly sound of the 60s – a joyous, positive, upbeat approach that worked wonderfully well for a variety of artists. Titles include "Your Fool Still Loves You" by Oscar Weathers, "It's All Over But The Shouting" by George Tindley, "You've Been Untrue" by The Delfonics, "Ain't Nothing But A House Party" by The Show Stoppers, "Peace To You Brother" by Lou Johnson, "Christine" by Executive Suite, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "You Got What I Need" by Freddie Scott, "Rainmaker" by The Moods, "Keep On Striving" by Moses Smith, "That's The Price You Have To Pay" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "What You Gave Up" by The Continental 4, "Every Day Is A Holiday" by The Intruders, "Standing In The Darkness" by The Ethics, and "Girl You're Too Young" by Len Barry. CD

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from the mighty Norman Connors – a set that's heavy on grooves, but which has all the jazzy depth of his early work too! The set features arrangements by some killer modern soul talents – Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – who beautifully blend their own sweet touches with Connors' rich ideas – carried out here with some sublime vocals by Al Johnson himself, plus work from Jean Carn, Glenn Johnson, Adaritha, and The Jones Girls too! The instrumental vibe is as strong as well – with great solos from Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Gary Bartz on alto – and the combination of all these talents alone is testament to the continuing great vision of Norman Connors – one of the few cats who could make an album like this work so well! Titles include a great version of Steely Dan's "Black Cow", plus "Melancholy Fire", "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else". LP, Vinyl record album

Moody material from Bobby Hutcherson – and one of the first records to feature his vibes in the company of tenorist Harold Land – a player who would help Hutcherson make some mighty fine music over the years! The set's got a super-hip group – with Stanley Cowell on piano, giving the record a warm, spiritual undercurrent – one that works perfectly with the lyrical soul of Land's horn. Other players include Reggie Johnson on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include "Spiral", "Ruth", "Poor People's March", and "Visions". The album also includes one more track – "Jasper" – which was recorded in a 1965 session without Land and Cowell – but with Sam Rivers on tenor and bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Andrew Hill on piano! Recorded in the 60s, but only initially issued on vinyl in 1979! LP, Vinyl record album