A really wonderful collection of music – work that has an already-great artist taking off into all these new directions of his own – completely reinventing himself as the jazz generations moved on, always with a really strong sense of wit and imagination! Mose Allison first emerged as a bop pianist in the 50s, but soon added a unique vocal approach that was a bit New Orleans-tinged, but with a beat jazz sensibility too – a style that was a huge influence on the UK mods in the 60s, and countless others over the years! By the time Mose hit Atlantic Records in 1962, he was already perfecting that style – then opening it up to other elements as the 60s moved on, often hitting some wilder, more unusual approaches that just kept coming through the 70s! As he shifted over to Elektra Records at the end of that decade, he stepped slightly back to more traditional jazz vocal modes – but still also kept penning his own great tunes, often with themes that maintained his unique sense of wit and vision. The box features a whopping 104 tracks on 6CDs – 12 full albums that include I Don't Worry About A Thing, Swingin Machine, Word From Mose, Wild Man Is On The Loose, Mose Alive, I've Been Doin Some Thinkin, Hello There Universe, Western Man, Mose In Your Ear, Your Mind Is On Vacation, Middle Class White Boy, and Lessons In Living. CD

George Duke at the end of the century – still going strong with the wonderful mix of jazz, funk, and soul that he pioneered in the 70s – a style that really grows and shifts in mighty nice way over the course of the material in the set! Duke moved from Epic to Elektra and Warner during the time of these tracks – and while some of the material has George picking up more 80s-styled keyboard elements and rhythms, the set also progresses towards other material that's maybe even more back to basics in a jazz sort of way – first electric, then more acoustic – but with some nice variations that show that Duke, one of the real pioneers, was still doing a lot more with soulful jazz than most of his contemporaries! You'll definitely find a few vocal cuts here – George always had a great ear for a singer – and throughout, the man's skills on the keyboard continue to be strong – especially tilted towards that nice sense of space that Duke picked up after his jamming years in the mid 70s. As with other titles on the Soulmusic label, the choice of cuts is great – really focusing on the kind of special album tracks that show a deeper side of the artist than the singles – with a total of 45 tracks that include "Mystery Eyes", "Say Hello", "The Touch", "From Dusk To Dawn", "It's Our World", "So I'll Pretend", "Montreux Nights", "Love Can Be So Cold", "No Rhyme No Reason", "6 O'Clock", "Fame", "560 SL", "Rise Up", "Guilty", "I Surrender", "Thief In The Night", "The Times We've Known", "All About You", "If You Will", "She's Amazing", "Thinin About You", "Fill The Need", and "Never Be Another". CD

A really great collection – five full albums from keyboard giant Patrice Rushen, plus bonus tracks too! First up is Patrice – her first album for Elektra, and a stunning blend of funky jazz and soul! The record really has Patrice stepping out from her earlier years at Prestige – working in some surprisingly great vocals next to tight lines on Fender Rhodes, synth, and clavinet, handled with a smooth and soulful quality that's wonderful all the way through – a blend of soul and jazz that few other players could do this well – no matter how many others tried to copy her style over the years! Rhythms are as hard and heavy as on the Prestige years, and the keyboards have a great sort of focus too – just the right mix of jazz to offset the vocals – which themselves are a wonderful discovery. The whole album's a gem – and tracks include the great funky classic "Hang It Up", plus "Changes (In Your Life)", "When I Found You", "Play", "Didn't You Know?", and "Music Of The Earth". Pizzazz is one of the records that not only helped break her out of the jazz funk ghetto, and right into the mainstream – but a set that also had a pretty profound influence on the progression of soul in the early 80s! Rushen sings as well as plays keyboards – and really pushes the use of jazzy elements that would take R&B to the next level – almost inventing the 80s groove sound in the process! The whole thing's a totally sweet mix of funk and soul, tightened up to get everything in the door at the same time – and titles include "Givin It Up Is Givin Up", "Call On Me", "Haven't You Heard", and "Let The Music Take Me". Posh is an all-out, all-access affair – a great way for anyone to get into the grooves of the mighty Patrice Rushen! Patrice is at the height of her powers here – equally magic on keyboards and vocals, and coming up with groove after groove in a sublime blend of 70s jazz funk and Minnie Riperton-esque soul! The whole album's a winner – real magic that never gets old, and the kind of LP that makes you understand why you'll find Patrice's records in just about any soul collection from the time! Tracks include "I Need Your Love", "Time Will Tell", "The Dream", "Never Gonna Give You Up", and "Don't Blame Me". Straight From The Heart is one of those albums that completely cemented her standing in the world of jazz, funk, and soul – and a wonderful summation of everything she'd done in the years before! The young Patrice was already a breakout keyboardist on the west coast scene of the mid 70s – turning out great work on her own, and adding her talents to plenty of others – but here, she emerges as a soaring soul star in her own right – a talent who's really worked her way up, with a quality level that's head and shoulders above most of her peers! Rushen produced the set with Charles Mims, and there's a righteous blend of jazz and soul that's at the level of Minnie Riperton, so that even the catchiest cuts come off with a sense of sophistication and warmth that's so different than so much other 80s soul and fusion. Titles include the classic "Forget Me Nots", plus "Number One", "I Was Tired Of Being Alone", "Where There Is Love", "Breakout", "If Only", and "Remind Me". The album Now is a masterpiece of 80s groove with lots of jazzy touches! The keyboard sound has evolved a bit here – compressed with more electronic percussion than on Patrice's earlier records, but still done with a degree of soul that sets it apart from work by most of her contemporaries – and the music has this warm flow that really sets Rushen apart from the rest – a sublime mix of soul, funk, and fusion that holds together perfectly throughout! Titles include "Gotta Find It", "Gone With The Night", "My Love's Not Going Anywhere", "High In Me", "To Each His Own", "Heartache Heartbreak", and "Feels So Real". 5CD set features bonus tracks from original 12" singles – and other remixes too! CD

Three classic albums from Shoes, plus bonus tracks, and a full CD worth of rare material too! First up is Present Tense – a power-pop classic from Shoes – their first full length for Elektra Records, and a set that stands with all the best end of 70s gems from either coast! The songs are impeccable, and the group do a fantastic job of blending sharper guitars with really great lyricism – a mode that maybe makes the Illinois group a strong precursor for territory that The Replacements wouldn't hit until many years later – and which makes just about every track on the album a precious nugget that just gets better and better with time! Titles include "Now & Then", "Every Girl", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Three Times", "In My Arms Again", and "Too Late". On Tongue Twister, Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". On Boomerang, Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". 4CD set features a huge amount of bonus material – 8 track demo versions of all three albums, added to their discs – and a bonus CD of 18 more rare tracks – all in a box, with a big booklet of notes! CD

A great run of music from Grover Washington Jr – five full albums, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Paradise – one of those records you see so much it's easy to forget how great it is! Grover's a real genius with the sax on this record – taking a "less is more" cue from Stanley Turrentine's 70s work, and toning down his playing to an even tighter style than on the Kudu albums of earlier years, to a level of ultimate economy that really leaves us breathless. Grover hits a rarified level here that we'd only reserve for a small few – like Steely Dan or The Crusaders, both groups who teeter on the same brink, and make it work perfectly. Titles include "Asia's Theme", "Tell Me About It Now", "Feel It Comin", "Icey", and "The Answer In Your Eyes". Winelight is a smooth smooth classic from Grover Washington Jr – a set that has a classy image on the cover, and a classic groove within – a completely sublime blend of jazz, soul, and funk, all given the sort of masterful finish that you might have found on the best records by The Crusaders at the time! The difference, though, is that Washington's the lead soloist throughout – crafting some especially nice lines on his trademark soprano sax – which he used in ways that made him one of the most important mainstream jazz artists of his time – and one of the few to really open the doors of the music to folks who might not have been listening otherwise. Grover's sense of space and timing is wonderful throughout – and titles include the classic debut with Bill Withers on "Just The Two Of Us" –plus "Winelight", "Let It Flow", "In The Name Of Love", "Take Me There", and "Make Me A Memory (Sad Samba)". On Come Morning, Grover Washington blows over some great arrangements from William Eaton – full, but lean too – and with the same sort of slinky groove that always worked best for Grover back at Kudu Records! The sound is tight, but never too slick – that magically soulful approach that always made Grover a real standout from his contemporaries – one of the few cats who could smooth out jazz without ever losing its soul – thanks to lots of well-crafted lead lines on soprano sax! Titles include "East River Drive", "Jamming", "Little Black Samba", "Be Mine", and "Reaching Out". Best Is Yet To Come is a set that strongly continues the special spirit that Grover Washington brought to his music during the Elektra Records years – as one of the few artists who really found a way to move forward from the style of 70s jazz funk, but not fall into some of the smoother jazz cliches that were about to envelop his contemporaries! Part of the strength of the record lies in Grover's strongly soul-based sense of timing – allowing for just the right amount of space between the notes to remind you that you're listening to a jazz soloist first and foremost, even when a guest like Patti Labelle might step in for a bit of vocals. Titles include "Brazilian Memories", "Mixty Motions", "Can You Dig It", "I'll Be With You", "Things Are Getting Better", and "The Best Is Yet To Come". Inside Moves has Washington soaring to the skies on soprano sax – as expressive a voice on the record as any soul singer might be – and maybe even more so on the few spots that do include vocals. Jon Lucien sings a bit on the record – and if you read these pages, you know how much we love him – but Grover's still the giant here, with a sense of timing and phrasing that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match in a setting like this. Titles include "Jet Stream", "Sassy Stew", "Dawn Song", "Inside Moves", "Watching You Watching Me", and "Secret Stew". 5CD set features 19 more bonus tracks – all the single edits of songs from the albums! CD

An excellent set of dancefloor grooves from the 80s – the kind of a set that makes you realize how much great music was crucially overlooked at the time! Most of the artists on the set are bigger names from the Warner and Atlantic catalogs, but they're served up here with some lesser-known tracks that stand out even more than the bigger hits – often in a catchy 80s groove mode that mixes sweet keyboards, tight bass, and some warm jazzy touches – soaring along in a post-disco mode that brings back plenty of soul to the dancefloor! And even though we recognize a few of these numbers, we'll be honest in saying that it wasn't until hearing them in the company of the other tunes on this set that we realized how great they are. 12 tracks in all – with titles that include "Eye To Eye" by Chaka Khan, "Toda Menina Baiana" by Gilberto Gil, "Watching You" by Slave, "I'm Sick & Tired (UK 12" rmx)" by Larry Graham, "Try It Out" by Gino Soccio, "Bad Habits (12" mix)" by Jenny Burton, "Intimate Connection" by Kleeer, "Feels So Real" by Patrice Rushen, "Mt Airy Groove" by Pieces Of A Dream, "Didn't Know About Love" by Lenny White, and "The Way You Love Me (12" Hype rmx)" by Karyn White. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from The Cure, Billy Bragg, The Black Velvet Band, The Sugarcubes, Shinehead, The Havalinas, Pixies, Happy Mondays, Ambitious Lovers, Bill Frisell with Robin Holcomb & Wayne Horvitz, 10,000 Maniacs, They Might Be Giants, The Beautiful South, and John Zorn. CD

Stunning work from the great second chapter of Patrice Rushen – the time when the lady moved over to Elektra Records and really opened up her groove! Rushen had already been making great music for most of the 70s – playing fantastic keyboards as a real up-and-coming star on the funky fusion scene of the west coast – but at Elektra, she also turned into a surprisingly strong singer – and mixed her voice with her keyboards in a really wonderful sound! This is mainstream soul of the hippest level – as the core of the cuts are almost always rooted in jazzy fusion, which also means that the vocals give way to sweet keyboard solos too – beautifully balanced in a way that show off all of the sweetest charms of the great Patrice Rushen – these qualities that really set her apart from most of her generation. This package is filled with really well-chosen cuts, and also includes some great single mixes and other versions too – titles that include "When I Found You", "Forget Me Nots (12" mix)", "Music Of The Earth", "Haven't You Heard (12" mix)", "Let's Sing A Song Of Love", "Feels So Real (12" mix)", "Settle For My Love", "Remind Me", "All We Need", "Never Gonna Give You Up (long version)", "Look up (long version)", "Number One (12" version)", "Where There Is Love", and "To Each His Own". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive lost work from the Butterfield Blues Band – recorded in 1964, quite early in the group's career – but a set that already has them hitting hard with a really powerful sound! The recording quality and overall sound is nice and rough – a gritty groove that's more closely linked with the Chicago roots of the group than some of their later recordings – and the harmonica work of Paul Butterfield is really amazing – nicely distorted at times, almost in a fuzzy psych way – and matched by some excellent work on guitar from both Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield – the latter of whom also handles Hammond and piano too. Titles include "Nut Popper 1", "Lovin Cup", "Our Love Is Driftin", "Take Me Back Baby", "Help Me", "Just To Be With You", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", and "Goin Down Slow". CD

A treasure trove of unreleased material from the Stalk Forrest Group – one full album, other bonus tracks, and their only ever single – all compiled together in a sweet set that documents the pre-history of Blue Oyster Cult! These guys aren't as sinister as in their BOC years, but definitely have a great way with a guitar line – spinning things out in a sweet, compressed mode that really brings a tightness to the tunes – yet still respects some of the rootsier undercurrents. Vocals have a bit more twang than later, but in a catchy late 60s way – and the original songs on the album – mostly by Richard Meltzer and Allen Lanier – are all pretty great. Titles include "What Is Quicksand", "Gil Blanco County", "Donovan's Monkey", "Ragamuffin Dumplin", "St Ceceilia", "Arthur Comics", and "Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors" – plus some demo and original versions too, some from the time the group was named Oxaca. CD

A wonderful little set of post-folk rock – with lots of lovely baroque touches! Ars Nova were really short-lived group – known for only two rare records – but they've got a sound that perfectly sums up a generation! There's a wonderful LA late 60s sound here – somewhere between Love and The Byrds, with the baroque touches of the former and the best country influences of the latter – all wrapped up in earnest, honest songwriting that makes even the ambitious moments come across with surprising charm. A true lost relic, and the kind of record that should be in any late 60s cannon! Titles include "Album In Your Mind", "Pavan For My Lady", "General Clover Ends A War", "And How Am I To Know", "Fields Of People", "Automatic Love", and "Song To The City". LP, Vinyl record album

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Third album from the Brit prog-rockers. This album is a bit funkier than their previous releases, as their Memphis soul influence is quite apparent here. Nice moments throughout, with a monster drumbreak on "The Rock". Other titles include "Breakthrough", "Decision/Indecision", "Devil's Answer", and "Black Snake". LP, Vinyl record album

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A mega-hit, but for good reason – as the record brought sophistication back to chart soul at the end of the 80s – proof that well-done, deeply-voiced records could still beat the schmaltz of the geri-curl generation! Anita's working here in territory that draws from the classics, but is certainly all her own – a space between jazz and soul that was hardly ever handled this well by other artists at the time. Titles include "Priceless", "Lead Me Into Love", "Giving You The Best That I Got", "Good Love", "Rules", "Good Enough", and "You Belong To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic album of classy vocals – one that helped set a whole new tone in 80s soul music! Anita had already gained a bit of experience on the soul scene before this set, but with this record she emerged as a full-formed diva who could effortlessly blend jazz and soul into a magnificent new sound. The production has a few touches that date the record a bit, but there's a timelessness to the set that was apparent to listeners the moment it was released. Titles include "Mystery", "No One In The World", "Sweet Love", "You Bring Me Joy", and "Caught Up In The Rapture". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of Dollar Brand's more ambitious albums – featuring a larger group of players than usual, working through some compositions that have as much life and spirit as might be implied by the title! The group includes Brand on keyboards, conga, and soprano sax – plus work by Carlos Ward on sax, Gary Chandler on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, Cecil McBee on bass, and Dwayne Armstrong on tenor. Titles include "Whoza Mtwana", "The Homecoming Song", "Anthem For The New Nation", "African Marketplace", and "Moniebah". CD

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Tracks include "Everybody Rise", "Against All Odds" featuring Flipmode Squad, "Extinction Level Event (The Song Of Salvation)", "Tear Da Roof Off', "Just Give It To Me Raw", "Do It To Death", "Hot Sh** Makin Ya Bounce", "What The F*** You Want!!", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and his Chicago comperes, hanging out at clubs on the south side, drinking in the relatively new electric sound of the city, and turning out a groove that's a lot more hard-edged than some of the overseas imitators at the time! Paul's pretty darn great on vocals and harmonica – but the group has some even more powerful sounds in the twin guitar talents of Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop – the former on slide, the latter on rhythm – along with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin on some Hammond too. Titles include "Blues With A Feeling", "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Mystery Train", "Screamin", "Last Night", and "Look Over Yonders Wall". CD

An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and his Chicago comperes, hanging out at clubs on the south side, drinking in the relatively new electric sound of the city, and turning out a groove that's a lot more hard-edged than some of the overseas imitators at the time! Paul's pretty darn great on vocals and harmonica – but the group has some even more powerful sounds in the twin guitar talents of Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop – the former on slide, the latter on rhythm – along with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin on some Hammond too. Titles include "Blues With A Feeling", "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Mystery Train", "Screamin", "Last Night", and "Look Over Yonders Wall". LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "Walkin Blues", "Get Out Of My Life Woman", "Mary Mary", "East West", "Two Trains Running", and "Work Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic funky record from the Butterfield Blues Band – a set that's much less in the blues style from which the group took their name, and very strongly in the hipper mixed-up blend of styles that were happening on the Cali scene at the end of the 60s! Paul still leads the group on harmonica and vocals – but the latter often have a lot more of a loose, freewheeling soul sort of approach – as he's backed by a very cool group that's heavy on horns mixed with tight guitar and mighty nice basslines – plus piano from Jerry Ragovoy, who produced the whole set! Phillip Wilson provides some great drums – which are a key part of the funky cuts – and titles include "Love March", "No Amount Of Loving", "Love Disease", "So Far So Good", "Buddy's Advice", "Losing Hand", "Where Did My Baby Go", "All In A Day", and "Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

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