The title may say "standard", but with Coltrane at the helm, the record is anything but! Sure, the tunes are all familiar ones, but the presentation here is a far cry from mainstream piano jazz of the 50s – as John's working in a group with the Red Garland trio for rhythm, as well as trumpeter Wilbur Harden, the slightly off-kilter player who made some great Savoy records with Coltrane. Tracks are all quite long, and really open up with a fair bit of invention – and even when Coltrane's straight ahead, he's still compellingly creative. Tracks include "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "I'll Get By", "Spring Is Here", and "Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most far-reaching, exploratory records cut by Booker Ervin during the 60s – a set that really lives up to the "freedom" in its title! The album really takes off from some of Ervin's other work of the time – and stands along next to the equally-great Space Book as a departure from his roots as mostly a Texas-styled tenorman. There's still a bit of Ervin's deeper soul in the mix, but the sound has more of the sharp edges that Booker was working on with Charles Mingus at the time – long solos filled with plenty of feeling, and a sound that's simply breathtaking throughout! The group's a quartet – especially well-matched with Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums – all perfect partners for the unique vibe going on for the session. All tracks are great, and titles include "A Lunar Tune", "A Day To Mourn", "Cry Me Not", "Grant's Stand", and "Al's In". CD

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". CD

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

A young Jackie McLean at the height of his powers – really stretching out here, but never going too far out – a perfect balance between his modern bop of previous records, and his groundbreaking "new thing" jazz to come! The group is a relatively straight ahead one – with Walter Davis on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but the tracks are all quite long, and have this really arch sensibility on Jackie's horn – this edge, this cry he didn't have a few years before – easily one of the freshest voices in alto sax at the time, yearning here to break free with new ideas and new modes of expression. The vibe is perfectly balanced – like McLean's classic A Fickle Sonance – and titles include the classic "Melody For Melonae", plus "Rene", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Omega". CD

An incredible record from Bobby Blue Bland – and quite possibly the greatest one he ever made! The set's got an amazing something special that's unlike most other material of the time – a bit blues, but a lot of soul too – still with some echoes of R&B in the jazzier charts used for the backdrop, but presented with a rock-solid style that definitely points the way towards many sounds and styles to come in the 60s. And although Bland recorded many of these tracks as separate singles, there's a way they're put together here that makes the whole thing sound completely marvelous together – a really well-conceived track list that shows that Bobby's an even greater artist in the space of a full record. The arrangements are perfect, and Bobby's rough soulful voice is blended in this amazing way with killer horn arrangements that are far more sophisticated than most stuff that ever came after this, and which never get in the way, but only back up his deep emotion. The album's a motherlode of classics by the man, with gems that include "Two Steps From The Blues", "Cry Cry Cry", "I Don't Want No Woman", "I'm Not Ashamed", "Don't Cry No More", "Lead Me On", and "I Pity The Fool". And hell, even his version of "St James Infirmary" is pretty wonderful – something we never thought we'd say about that song. LP, Vinyl record album

Cash's fourth volume of stark, sparely-arranged studio recordings for producer/set list provider Rick Rubin. As Johnny gets on in the years his always haunting voice, like Bob Dylan's, is weighted by age, but the heavily-breathed delivery only adds to the ghostly quality of the increasingly dark tunes. With this fourth set in the series we're far past being surprised by the choices of material – this time Cash conjures up spiritual takes on Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus", Trent Reznor's "Hurt", Lennon/McCartney's "In My Life", and more traditional material like Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and the eternally underrated Marty Robbins' "Big Iron". You can't forget that Cash's pen is still pretty sharp, too, as the really spooky imagery in the title track and others testify. The accompaniment includes the great Randy Scruggs, Beck/Tom Waits guitarist Smokey Hormel, Marty Stuart, Glen Campell, and backing vocals by Nick Cave and Fiona Apple. Another great one from the greatest! LP, Vinyl record album

An instrumental version of the set that the group cut with Jeb Loy Nichols – and one that's really overflowing with the group's wonderful deep funk vibe! The core group features Hammond, bass, and drums – but there's also some added horns on the top, handled by Jukka Eskola – who you might know from his own groovy records, and who really helps add a whole layer of classic soul to the set! Most tunes are in a lightly-tripping version of funk – mellow and laidback, in a way that's not too far from the El Michel's side of the spectrum, but captured with more of the edge of some rare indie label 45. Titles include "My Love", "Like A Rainy Day", "Cry Me Another One", "Living It Up", "Not There Yet", "Help Me Along", "The World Loves A Fool", and "We Gotta Work On It". LP, Vinyl record album

A great example of the way that Gil Evans really opened up his groove in the 70s – moving here way way past the cool jazz and third stream of earlier years – into a soulful style that's far groovier than might be expected! Part of the strength of the set is because of the players – as Gil's working with a group of younger soul jazz and spiritual soloists that include Ted Dunbar, Billy Harper, and Hannibal Marvin Peterson – as well as the older soul modernist Richard Williams. But there's also some other specifically Evans-like touches to the record that stand out – like Gil's stark notes on acoustic piano and his lighter work on the electric keys – plus a bit of inventive synthesizer from David Horowitz, who makes a few tracks really crackle with energy. Tracks include "Zee Zee", "Blues In Orbit", "Cry Of Hunger", and "Thoroughbred" – the latter two of which are lovely compositions by Billy Harper! CD

Amazing music from Jimmy Giuffre – and a much-needed document of this under-recorded time in his career! The 2CD set brings together two different live performances – each done two years after his groundbreaking Free Fall album for Columbia, and with a sound that's even more far-reaching than that classic set! The Giuffre heard here is extremely free on his reeds – especially clarinet, which is blown at a level that prefaces countless European free jazz work to come – with an incredible range of sounds, colors, and tones. Giuffre also plays tenor – with more bite and soul than ever before – almost at an ESP sort of level – and the accompaniment on both sessions is very loose and free, too – with Joe Chambers on drums on both concerts – working with Richard Davis on bass on a trio set, and with a quartet that includes Don Friedman on piano and Barre Phillips on bass. The whole thing is mindblowing – a chapter of this amazing musician's career that demands to be heard – and stands as even more of a revelation than other Giuffre releases in recent years. Titles include "Cry Want", "Syncopate", "Drive", "Angles", "Quadrangle", "Crossroads", and "Three Bars In One". CD

Perhaps Donny Hathaway's greatest album from the 70s, and certainly the one with the most amazing arrangements! The record was Donny's last studio session, and it's got him working at a level that's far advanced from even his groundbreaking earlier work – using complicated rhythms and sophisticated string passages – but also throwing in some killer jazzy bits that make for some of his funkiest work ever! The liner notes have Donny showing off his musical training in evaluations of the song structures, but the music alone should be enough to convince you this one is great! Includes "The Slums", a funky rollicking tune that is sort of a follow-up to "The Ghetto"; "Valdez In The Country", a totally catchy instrumental with loads of electric piano, and a very Bob James-esque sound; the jaunty "Flying Easy"; and the spiritual soul cuts "Someday We'll All be Free" and "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry (parts 1 & 2)". CD includes the bonus track "Lord Help Me". CD

Unreleased genius from British altoist Mike Osborne – and a set that easily matches his classic albums of the 70s! The double-length set was recorded live in the mid 70s, and is issued here for the first time – a wonderfully tight trio outing that features Osborne's alto alongside the bass of Harry Miller and drums of Tony Levin – in a mode that's decidedly Coltrane-influenced, and which has a searching, spiritual quality that's even deeper than most other British work of the time! We've never heard Osborne play with so much feeling, and Miller's basswork is wonderful too – really underscoring the sound with a full, rich quality that grounds the whole proceedings nicely – a soaring, majestic energy that's a far cry from some of the unstructured freedom from other Brit groups of the same stretch. Tremendous throughout – and with cuts that include "One For George", "Alfie", "Almost Home Kathy", "More Mike", "Ossie's Opener", "Awakening Spirit", and "Cousin Mary". CD

A bit late in the game for Rene & Angela, though they're still pumping out some classic 80s groove numbers, with Angela Winbush's flair for great songs. There's a few numbers here that are moving a bit too far into the commercial radio slow jam territory for our tastes, but there's a couple of nice sleepers too. Includes "Save Your Love (For #1)", "I'll Be Good", "No How-No Way", "You Don't Have To Cry", "Street Called Desire", "Your Smile", 'Who's Foolin' Who" and "Drive My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The one and only album by The Silkie – the title track being the classic and hugely catchy cover of the Beatles' "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" – really one of the sweeter, more lovely and hard-to-shake catchy folk pop records of the era! The simple and raw acoustic guitar backdrop works very well with the male and female harmonies, really somehow feeling far more lovely and affecting than so many similar groups of the era. Lots of Dylan songs, including "The Times They Are A Changin'", "Mr Tamborine Man", "Girl From The North Country", "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" and more, plus "Close The Door Gently", "Blood Red River" and more. CD includes 4 bonus tracks: "Leave Me To Cry", "Keys To My Soul", "Born To Be With You" and "I'm So Sorry". CD

A landmark album for Caetano Veloso – a full set of tracks sung in English, as beautifully done as we ever could have hoped! The arrangements are really fresh – in a style that makes the album far more than just a set of standards – and instead gives it the edgey approach of some of Caetano's best recent work. The set was co-produced by Jacques Morelenbaum, and has a range of instrumental approaches that shifts to fit the mood of each new track – and given that the work on the set runs from tunes by Cole Porter to Nat King Cole, Nirvana, David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan – you can imagine the changing moods at work! Titles include "So In Love", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Diana", "Manhattan", "Nothing But Flowers", "Cry Me A River", "Nature Boy", "Jamaica Farewell", "If It's Magic", "Detached", "Blue Skies", and "Something Good". Loads of tracks, too – 22 in all – and packaged beautifully! CD

A record with a split personality of sorts – as each side features a different live performance by Neil Young from 1976 – the first recorded in London, the second in Tokyo – each with a different vibe! The London material is just Neil Young solo, a mode that we totally love – as his spare presentation of the material really seems to underscore the darkness of his early 70s style – as heard on titles that include "Stringman", "After The Gold Rush", "Too Far Gone", "The Old Laughing Lady", and "Old Man". Side two features the full Crazy Horse group, with a more dynamic, rocking sound – on versions of "Lotta Love", "Drive Back", "Cortez The Killer", "Cowgirl In The Sand", and "Don't Cry No Tears". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible peek into a near-lost chapter of Chicago soul – the tiny Bandit label, home to The Majestic Arrows, one of the greatest indie harmony groups of the midwest in the 70s – plus a few other excellent soul artists! As with the other Eccentric Soul volume from Numero, this one offers far more than just an assortment of rare singles – and instead really digs deep to tell the true story of this tiny indie soul label. The music alone is totally great – as the set features a wealth of harmony soul tracks by The Majestic Arrows, plus other funk and soul tracks by Johnny Davis, Altyrone Deno Brown, and Linda Balintine – but the package is equally noteworthy – filled with the storied details of the unusual and exotic practices and lifestyles of the Bandit Records posse. The set features 17 full tracks – including "One More Time Around", "Another Day", "Doing It For Us", "Love Is All I Need", "Going To Make A Time Machine", "We Love Together", "The Magic Of Your Love", and "I'll Never Cry For Another Boy" by The Majestic Arrows; "We Have Love" and "Bring Back The One I Love" by The Arrows; "If You Love Me" and "Sweet Pea" by Altyrone Deno Brown; "You're A Habit Hard To Break" and "Glad About That" by Linda Balintine; and "You've Got To Crawl To Me" and "Boogedy Boogedy" by Johnny Davis. Plus, the set also features 3 rehearsal takes of tunes by the Majestic Arrows! CD

Beautiful work from The Cyrkle – post-folk, partly-sunshine, and a treasure trove of really groovy tunes! The record features a fair number of covers, but they're really redone here by the group in a mode that mixes youthful harmonies with slight acoustic guitar touches and some occasional more ambitious arrangements – never too much, but just with the right colors to shade in the gentler spaces. There's a cohesion here that's tremendous – making the record a no-filler set that really stands out from the other lesser-knowns of The Cyrkle's generation. We might go so far as to rank this one next to the perfect middle period Simon & Garfunkel albums on Columbia from the same stretch, but the overall sound here is a bit more varied, and honestly even deeper. Titles include the sublime "The Visit", plus "Two Rooms", "I'm Not Sure What I Want To Do", "Our Love Affair's In Question", "Don't Cry, No Fears, No Tears, Comin Your Way", and "The Weight Of Your Words". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure we'd go as far as to say that Mike Finnigan and Jerry Wood are the crazed hipsters promised in the title – but they do a very good job here of hitting some of the more offbeat sides of the scene in the early 70s! By the time of the record, Mike had plenty of experience on a variety of keyboards with other artists – and he's cutting loose here with Jerry, who plays guitar and sings – while the duo make their way through a rootsy blend of different styles – sometimes even a bit funky, other times a bit more relaxed and down home. At the best moments, Wood's guitar is sharp and fuzzy – and titles include "Down In The Flood", "Hard Times", "Tend To Your Own Business", "Laughing Eyes", "Highway", "Rock & Roll Show", "Don't Cry No More", and "Death Letter". LP, Vinyl record album

The kings of seedy 80s LA rock do their damnedest to top the their appropriately-titled, mainstream rock conquering Appetite For Destruction with the sprawling pair of Use Your Illusion albums! Use Your Illusion I kicks off with a few fast-charging, swaggery Guns songs that would have fit pretty well on Appetite, but abruptly change courses with a bombastic cover of "Live And Let Die" – and it gets even more grandiose from there – with slow-building ballads, boozy and bluesy hard rockers and more. It's pretty fascinating, in hindsight, just how far the band would go on the two Use Your Illusions albums without completely losing the plot! Includes "Right Next Door To Hell", "Dust N' Bones", "Don't Cry (Original)", "Perfect Crime", "You Ain't The First", "Bad Obsession", "Back Off Bitch", "Double Talkin' Jive", "Bad Obsession", "Garden Of Eden", "Dead Horse", "Coma" and more. Cassette

The kings of seedy 80s LA rock do their damnedest to top the their appropriately-titled, mainstream rock conquering Appetite For Destruction with the sprawling pair of Use Your Illusion albums! Use Your Illusion I kicks off with a few fast-charging, swaggery Guns songs that would have fit pretty well on Appetite, but abruptly change courses with a bombastic cover of "Live And Let Die" – and it gets even more grandiose from there – with slow-building ballads, boozy and bluesy hard rockers and more. It's pretty fascinating, in hindsight, just how far the band would go on the two Use Your Illusions albums without completely losing the plot! Includes "Right Next Door To Hell", "Dust N' Bones", "Don't Cry (Original)", "Perfect Crime", "You Ain't The First", "Bad Obsession", "Back Off Bitch", "Double Talkin' Jive", "Bad Obsession", "Garden Of Eden", "Dead Horse", "Coma" and more. CD

Killer work from one of THE big labels during the psychedelic generation – one of the few imprints to really take a chance on fresh new artists, and really let them do their thing in the studio! Vanguard may be known mostly as a folk label, and the company is now owned by the parent company of Lawrence Welk – but back in the late 60s, the company was very much at the forefront of musical changes in the US – and went out of their way to record artists that nobody else would touch! The result is a stunning legacy of funk records that really blow most bigger label work away – most of which is compiled here in this excellent collection. Some cuts are from rare albums, other from rare 45s – and titles include "Did You Have To Rub It In" by The Hi Five, "Getting Together" by The Third Power, "Where I'm At" by Notes From The Underground, "You Should Be More Careful" by Elizabeth, "Stoned Is" by Listening, "A Nickel's Worth Of Benny's Help" by The 31st Of February, "The Endless Tunnel" by Serpent Power, "Big Time Spender" by Frost, and "Hellhound" by The Far Cry. CD

A landmark moment – both for Brian Eno, and for experimental music in general! Although Eno began his solo run with some searing, guitar-heavy records that were even wilder than his early work with Roxy Music – he also began experimenting with more sensitive aspects of sound on albums like Another Green World and Before & After Science – an approach he takes here to the farthest degree, by opening up himself and creating a whole new genre of ambient music in the process! Gone are the raspy, sometimes nasty vocals – and in their place is virtually nothing – just beautifully open music that uses scores that are somewhat cyclical – but at a pace that's very different than the minimalism of the period – and maybe even more minimal too. The record features four long tracks, one with piano by Robert Wyatt – really beautiful stuff, like some strange dark sonic crystal that fell out of the skies years ago, and which still remains a mystery to all ears that stumble upon it! LP, Vinyl record album

A really great, oft-overlooked album from the best period of Quincy Jones! This album is quite possibly Quincy's most farthest-reaching – as he works in an array of styles that really shows his growing genius in the studio – not just jazz and soundtrack modes, but more soul-based ones, handled with work from a great array of guest stars who really expand the sound. There's loads of nice bits – like a version of "My Cherie Amour", done with vocals by Leon Ware and Minnie Riperton; a new take on "Bluesette", redone with Toots Thielemans; and the original "Beautiful Black Girl", which features rapping by The Watts Prophets! Other tracks include "Paranoid", "Cry Baby", "Tryin To Find Out About You", and "Listen (What It Is)". CD

Damn damn damn – maybe the funkiest album ever from Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings! The group have always been great, but there's something here that goes even farther than usual – an especially funky snap on the drums at the bottom, even on more laidback tunes – and a stone classic approach to funky soul, one that's definitely been honed to a "T" through their important work on the road during the previous few years! And Sharon Jones is great – with vocals that are way deeper and much longer-lasting than any rehab outpatient wannabe – sending home these tunes with a quality that may well pass most of her classic female soul inspirations from back in the day. And even though the set brings together some older singles and other odd bits, it's got a rock-solid punch that makes it a very unified album throughout! Titles include "Settling In", "I'm Not Gonna Cry", "When I Come Home", "Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects", "New Shoes", "Without A Trace", and "Inspiration Information". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Train Fare Blues", "Louisiana Blues", "Still A Fool", "Mannish Boy", "Rollin' Stone", "Honey Bee", "Standing Around Crying", and more – 20 tracks total. CD

The largest set so far in this excellent series of American soul releases from Mississippi Records – and like the previous volumes, an expansive set that really digs deep into the most soulful corners of the 60s and 70s! The work here is a mix of obscure tracks and overlooked gems from bigger names in soul – heavy on the kinds of vocals we love from the deep soul generation, but with maybe a few funky touches along the way! As with other volumes, there's a great booklet that's a huge addition to the package – filled with detailed notes – and the 3LP set features 30 tracks that include "Don't Be Surprised" by The Diamonettes, "I'm Lonely For You" by Bettye Swann, "Somewhere Crying" by Irma Thomas, "My Heart Cries For You" by The Invincibles, "Send Her Home To Me" by Johnny Moffett, "Tell Her" by Fred Williams & The Jewel Band, "Get In A Hurry" by Ben E King, "Like A Fish" by George Freeman, "A Woman Will Do Wrong" by Helene Smith, "22nd Century" by Nina Simone, "I'm Hurted" by Mamie Perry, "Can't Go On" by Johnny Steele, "Darling Don't Come Back" by Bobby Thomas & The Afros, "White On Rice" by Clarence Reid, "Louisiana" by Percy Mayfield, "I Submit To You" by Slim & Ann, and "Baby Please Don't Go" by Rose Mitchell. LP, Vinyl record album

Igloo Records was a teeny tiny label on the LA scene of the early 70s – but all of its releases turned out to be killers – most handled by the hip-looking Leon Gardner on the cover! The music is often heavy with the kind of deep funk you'd expect from rare singles at the time – but Gardner also has an ear for more complex sounds at times, and brings in some jazz moments that really give the Igloo titles a unique vibe – always with plenty of grit in the grooves, as befits a small indie label – but with an ear for the music that also makes us wonder what Gardner could have done, had someone given him the keys to a bigger label and studio for his productions! We'd love a bit more in the way of notes – but that's to be expected, as Leon was somewhat of a mysterious figure – and the music is more than great enough on its own, with titles that include "Farm Song", "Be There", "My Love Is Growing", "Who Are You", "Beef Jerky", "Tuff Lover", "Wonderful World Of Children", "You Gonna Cry", and "You Don't Care" by Leon Gardner himself – plus "You're My Love" by Eddie Lewis, "I've Cried" by The Jhamels, and "Petty Cash" and "Ropeokra" by Wallace Petty Combo. CD

A lost side of work from 70s funk powerhouse Mainstream Records – a company best known for its jazz albums of the early 70s, but one that also cut some great soul and club material too! Most of the work here came out only as singles, and wasn't nearly as well-circulated as the albums on Mainstream – and much of it was much more underground too, from a time when funk groups were picking up the pace a bit for the new styles of dance on the scene – yet still nicely far from the more slickly produced disco that would top the charts at the end of the 70s! Most tracks appear here on vinyl for the first time since the 70s – and titles include the unissued "Disco Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Three Ounces Of Love – plus "Get Down Get Down" by South Side Coalition, "Music Is Fun To Me" by The Grand Jury, "We've Got To Get Together" by Chocolate Syrup, "Gonna Have A Good Time" by Crystal Image, "Nothing Between Us" by Electric Ladies, "Whatever's Your Sign You've Got To Be Mine" by Prophecy, "Hundred Pounds Of Pain" by Lenny Welch, and "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics. LP, Vinyl record album

The last Capitol album from vocalist Sue Raney – and easily the most compelling of the bunch! Sue's in really great form here – shaking off some of the cooler west coast modes of earlier records, and going for a more lively, more fluid style that's sometimes touched with the R&B influences that were creeping into jazz vocals at the time. Backings are by Ralph Carmichael – tightly jazzy, but often with plenty of room for Sue to take over – and there's a really great sense of balance, poise, and power here that far surpasses most of Raney's other albums from the time. Titles include "How About Me", "Burnt Sugar", "Some Of These Days", "Trouble Is A Man", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", and "Here's That Rainy Day". CD

William Bell was one of the first great soul singers to record for the legendary Stax Records in Memphis – an artist who really helped set the tone for deep soul singles to come from the likes of Otis Redding and Johnnie Taylor – and one whose early work is still some of the best he ever gave us! This well-done package brings together all of Bell's first 14 singles for the label, both a-sides and b-sides – standing together as a testament to all the greatness the singer brought to the fray right from the start – as Stax not only found a way to record him so much differently than he would have been handled in other spots, but also matured along with Bell to keep on creating fresh magic as the 60s moved on! As always with Ace/Kent, the presentation is wonderful – a detailed set of notes that matches the wonderful set list – which includes "Formula Of Love", "Just As I Thought", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "I Told You So", "Don't Stop Now", "Crying All By Myself", "I'll Show You", "Monkeying Around", "Ain't Got No Girl", "Every Man Oughta Have A Woman", "Never Like This Before", "Marching Off To War", "Soldier's Goodbye", "One Plus One", "Eloise", "You're Such A Sweet Thing", "Don't Make Something Out Of Nothing", and his great farewell to Otis Redding, "Tribute To A King". CD

A lost prog nugget from a group who mix keyboards and woodwinds in a really great way – almost complicated, but with a down to earth quality overall – and one that seems to work especially well with the French language lyrics of the set! The record's one of those obscure French sets from the mid 70s with a sound that almost seems out of time – made far away from the mainstream, without any idea of the punk or disco changes that were taking place elsewhere – and with that more intellectual, more personal approach that often marked records of this nature as both a standout strength, and quality that would keep them from forever getting picked up by bigger labels for global circulation. Yet that balance is what makes the record so great, especially decades later – with titles that include "Divertimento", "Tramontane", "Laure", "Naissance", "Premiers Pas", and "Dernier Village Premieres Neiges". LP, Vinyl record album

Mellow ballad material from Mark Murphy – as you might expect from the title – a sad-tinged session that almost hints at the style of his recent work in Verve – showing a real maturity for Murphy's music at the time! There's a bit of electricity in the instrumentation – some keyboards and guitar – but the record's got a warm, mellow tone that mostly focuses on Mark's wonderful vocals – gently making their way through a well-chosen set of tunes that includes "September Fifteenth", "Night Life", "Sack Full Of Dreams", "Crystal Silence", "Sausalito", "Para Nada", "Spring Is Where You Are", "I Never Went Away", and "When She Is Mine". Art Farmer also plays some sweet solos on three of the album's tracks! CD

One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare look at a very obscure sound library from the European scene – the Belgian Selection label, home to some very groovy sounds from the late 70s! The music here resonates with Belgian soundtrack and jazz work of the period – and shares some musicians from those genres too – and the titles within mix funky jazz with larger arrangements – all instrumental, and handled in a strong array of styles – some upbeat, some midtempo, and some cool and laidback! Titles include "Black World" by Stern Selection, "Space Shuttle Jazz" by Jacques Siroul, "Crystal Waltz" by Rene Costy, "Chief Of Freen Bean" by Bob Porter, "No Thoroughfare" by Jordan Stevy, and "Osmoses" by Leonard D Messina. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool soundtrack, and one that offers up a weird and wonderful mix of modes from the mid 60s – bits of surf guitar, garage rock, country, and more – all brought together in a wonderfully evocative mode that hardly needs the images of the offbeat film on the screen! The whole thing is a really great dip into a 60s underground that's not often as well represented in the world of compilations and reissues. Titles include "Tropic Waters" by Steve Waltner, "Melody On The Moon" by The Travelers, "Crying Guitar" by Johnny Blue, "Walk Through The Valley" by Kay Johnson, "Far Away" by Ron Heiss & The Low Notes, "Tarantula" by Jody Reynolds, and "Lost Horizon" by Tommy Dae's High Tensions. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool soundtrack, and one that offers up a weird and wonderful mix of modes from the mid 60s – bits of surf guitar, garage rock, country, and more – all brought together in a wonderfully evocative mode that hardly needs the images of the offbeat film on the screen! The whole thing is a really great dip into a 60s underground that's not often as well represented in the world of compilations and reissues. Titles include "Tropic Waters" by Steve Waltner, "Melody On The Moon" by The Travelers, "Crying Guitar" by Johnny Blue, "Walk Through The Valley" by Kay Johnson, "Far Away" by Ron Heiss & The Low Notes, "Tarantula" by Jody Reynolds, and "Lost Horizon" by Tommy Dae's High Tensions. LP, Vinyl record album

To us, most of Bobby's early Duke albums would serve fine as "best of" sets in and of themselves – so great is his work for that label during this period! This one's a pretty great sampling of his genius – that unique blend of blues and soul that still makes Bobby's work sound fresher than most of the hackneyed, over-played work by other singers of the time. 12 tracks in all, including "Poverty", "I Smell Trouble", "Some-Day", "I'll Take Care Of You", "I Pity The Fool", "Cry Cry Cry", "Turn On Your Love Light", "Call On Me", "Ain't Nothing You Can Do", "If You Could Read My Mind", "Farther Up The Road" and "Stormy Monday". CD

Two later album's from Allison's stay at Prestige, Ramblin' With Mose and Autumn Song – before he moved over to Atlantic to go on to greater success – collected in one package. Unlike his later, more well-known sets, this is mostly instrumental, but there are a couple of nice vocal tracks, with the roots to his bluesy hipster approach in evidence: "I Got A Right To Cry", "Eyesight To The Blind", "That's All Right" and "Do Nothing Till You Here From Me". The remaining piano trio sides have a great rollicking almost boogie feel to them, with Addison Farmer and Ronnie Free rounding out the group, and include "Old Devil Moon", "Stranger In Paradise", "Kissin' Bug", "Ramble", "Old Man John", "Ingenue", "Promenade", "It's Crazy", "Strange", "Autumn Song" and "Groovin High". LP, Vinyl record album

Husker Du's debut for Warner – just barely "bigger" and "more polished" soundwise than their pivotal SST canon – and all these years later stands as tall as one of the more timeless and influential rock albums to appear on a major label in the mid 80s! A couple of heart-on-sleeve, get-get-it-all-out emotional numbers point the way towards some of Bob Mould's work to come, but more of them recall the Husker Du at near peak greatness. Includes "Crystal", "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely", "I Don't Know For Sure", "Sorry Somehow", "Too Far Down", "Hardly Getting Over It", "Eiffel Tower High", "Al This I've Done For You" and more. CD

5 albums from Lee Morgan – one of the coolest cats to ever handle a trumpet for Blue Note! First up is Delightfulee – really unique album from the great Lee Morgan – a set that features the trumpeter in two different settings, but in a way that really works well together! Most of the album has Lee blowing in a very cool quintet – with Joe Henderson on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a group who maybe bring out a slightly hipper vibe that really points the way to the rest of Morgan's direction in the late 60s, when he was really letting some more spiritual currents loose. The other two tracks on the record feature a hip larger band directed by Oliver Nelson – swinging hard in a really soulful style! Nelson's arrangements on these two tracks are great – quite progressive, with a soul jazz big band style that seems to point the way towards the 70s – and the band provides a raging backdrop that lets Lee's trumpet soar over the top in beautiful crystal clear solos. Titles include "Nite Flite", "Delightful Deggie", "Ca-Lee-So", and "Zambia". Also features a few bonus tracks. The Cooker is a very appropriate title for a very cooking little album – one of Lee Morgan's first efforts as a leader, cut back during his first years of late 50s fame! The style here is a bit less Morgan-esque than some of Lee's later 60s classics – but the record is rock-solid throughout, and proof that Morgan was every bit as great a leader in a hardbop session as Hank Mobley or some of the other emerging heavyweights at Blue Note! The strength of the group really helps keep the fire stoked on the set – and Bobby Timmons turns in some amazing piano work alongside a lineup that includes Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The Adams presence gives the record a bit of the feel of some of Pepper's sessions with Donald Byrd – but the sparkling, soaring sound of Morgan makes the record way more than just a copycat set. Titles include "New-Ma", "Night In Tunisia", "Lover Man", "Just One Of Those Things", and "Heavy Dipper". Lee Way is an undisputed masterpiece by Lee Morgan – and one of the first records in which he shed his straight bop sensibility, and began evolving into a soulful genius for the 60s! The album's got 4 long tracks that all build beautifully – really extended numbers that break the format of some of Lee's earlier work, and hint a bit at some of the more complicated touches he'd use on later sessions. All players are great – and include fellow Jazz Messengers Bobby Timmons on piano and Art Blakey on drums, plus Jackie McLean on alto and Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include the sublime "These Are Soulful Days" – a perfect model of soulful lyricism – plus "Midtown Blues", "Nakatini Suite", and "The Lion & The Wolff". Rumproller often gets too easily lumped next to The Sidewinder – because of an obvious title and cover similarity to that hit record – but like that one, the album's far more than jazz cliche – and shows Lee Morgan to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 60s. The set starts off with the title cut, "The Rumproller" – hard-wailing soul bop, in the manner of Lee's most popular work – but then it easily flows into more sensitive material that has a freer, lyrical feel – like the great original tune "Eclipso" and Wayne Shorter's "Edda" – both of which are superb. Lee is astounding, as always, on trumpet – and the rest of the group includes the great Ronnie Matthews on piano, plus Joe Henderson, Victor Sproles, and Billy Higgins. Search For The New Land is a brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keen poof of that fact – the title track "Search For The New Land" – a beautiful 16 minute exploration of modal jazz themes, with an unusual stop/start device as a means of ushering solos by different bandmates – including Wayne Shorter on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano! The approach is unlike anything that Morgan ever did before – and unlike most of other Blue Note as well – and it also benefits from great rhythmic help from Reggie Workman on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Other tunes are a bit more conventional, but still pretty special – like some of Morgan's inventive work on the Rajah albums – with titles that include "The Joker", "Melancholee", "Mr. Kenyatta" and "Morgan The Pirate". CD

A massive Muddy Waters double-header – filled with vintage recordings for Chess! First up is The Real Folk Blues – a classic packaging of Muddy Waters' famous early work for Chess Records – brought together with a cover and title that pitch him strongly towards the growing folk movement of the time! And, although most of these tracks were recorded in Chicago, with some electric guitar in the mix, there's a definitely folksy quality to most of the numbers – a down-home feel that's nice and gritty, stepping along with spare instrumentation alongside the vocals. Titles include "Mannish Boy", "Screamin & Cryin", "Just To Be With You", "Walkin Blues", "Walkin Through The Park", "Same Thing", and "Canary Bird". More Real Folk Blues is a 60s album, but one that's filled with some of the earliest recordings Muddy Waters made for Chess Records – all wrapped up in a title that proclaims his music as the real deal! The instrumentation here is all quite spare – varying combinations of electric guitar, harmonica, piano, and bass – all topped by Waters' wonderfully twanging vocals, heard here at a level that's still extremely fresh and without cliche! The tunes are the sort that bar bands have been ruining for decades, but they still sound great in the originals – and titles include "Sad Letter", "Gonna Need My Help", "Train Fare Blues", "Too Young To Know", "Honey Bee", "My Life Is Ruined", and "She's All Right". CD

Rare soul galore – a set of heavenly harmony tracks from those years when a mellow cut on a 45 single was a perfect way to drift into the small hours of the evening! The music here is all pretty darn obscure, and as with previous volumes, the vibe is somewhere between the sweet soul sound of the New Jersey/Philly scene, and the kind of laidback tracks that always played big on the scene in East LA. Almost all of these tracks are new to our ears – and titles include "Love Don't Change" by Laurene Lavallis, "Crying Baby Won't Help The Hurt" by The Si-Berians, "How Far Can Our Love Go" by Delbert & The Stewart Sensation, "Cindy" by Taste Of Love", "Making Love" by The 5 Stepping Stars, "Phases Of Time" by Joe Jama, "O Lord" by The Invaders, and "What Am I To Do" by Soul Suspension. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. CD

One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. LP, Vinyl record album