Badass organ funk from the mighty Leon Spencer – a set that's got a bit of a fuller feel than some of his previous albums for Prestige – but a groove that's also equally great! The style here is somewhere between blacksploitation funk and some of the grooves from the CTI/Kudu camp – with a bit more horns than before on some of the titles, arranged tightly to provide a great foil for Leon's leaner lines on Hammond! Arrangements are by Ed Bogas on the fuller tracks, and players on the album include Hubert Laws on flute, Frank Wess on baritone, Victor Paz and Virgil Jones on trumpet, Joe Beck on guitar, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Grady Tate on drums. One track features Leon working in a smaller trio format – and titles include "Superstition", "Give Me Your Love", "The Price A Po Man's Got To Pay", "Where I'm Coming From", and "Trouble Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Remarkable Carmell Jones, indeed – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this up-and-coming force on the LA scene at the start of the 60s! Jones was a player who really showcased something new on the west at the time – a move away from cool jazz, and the start of a deeper, headier generation of musicians – the bold power that would come from cats like Lou Blackburn, Horace Tapscott, and Jimmy Woods. This date's an early entry into that legacy – and has a tight approach to hardbop with plenty of modern elements – a bit like the shift that Curtis Amy was making at the time. In addition to Jones on trumpet, the album also features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Night Tide", "Sad March", and "Stellisa". CD

A really great return to form for the Free Soul series – one that mixed together key tracks from a variety of hip 70s soul and jazz labels – including Flying Dutchman, Brunswick, and TK – all with an assortment of grooves that really work well together! As with the classic Free Soul sets, all the titles here were chosen by Toru Hashimoto – a man who's taught us plenty about music over the decades – and the long package runs for over 80 minutes, with a sublime assortment of cuts that include "Girl Overboard" by Dorothy Moore, "Misdemeanor" by Foster Sylvers, "Am I The Same Girl" by Barbara Acklin, "What Am I Going To Do" by Reid Inc, "My Baby's Got ESP" by Four Below Zero, "You Light Up My Life" by Judy Roberts, "You Got To Be The One" by Marilyn Farra & Satin Soul, "My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Nina Simone, "Love Land" by The Lost Generation, "Jolie" by Latimore, "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "We've Only Just Begun" by Lynn Marion with Frank Cunimundo Trio, "Don't You Care" by Alice Clarke, "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me" by Jewel Bass, "Changin" by Sharon Ridley, and "Love Each Other" by Leon Thomas. CD

A huge collection of rare singles from the vaults of the legendary Treasure Isle label – a company who was home to some of the hippest tracks from the early days of ska – and also did a great job of getting the music to the UK scene as well! This package goes past the familiar Treasure Isle hits, as the 7" singles feature previously unreleased tracks and rare alternate versions – all packaged up in a great box set with a mighty sharp look. The whole thing is great – nice and raw, and very different than ska revival material of later years – and this 3CD set features all the material that was on the 7" box set done a few years back, plus 74 more bonus tracks! Core cuts include "You Wish Me Bad (take 6)" by The Spanishtonians, "Love Me Or Leave Me (take 1)" by Owen & Leon Silvera, "I'm All Alone (take 1)" by Frank Cosmo, "Oh Misery (take 2)" by The Duke Reid Group, "Thinking Of The Future" by Stranger Cole, "Fooling Around" by The Rio Grandes, "Renegade (take 1)" by The Zodiacs, "Smokey Ska (take 1)" by The Baba Brooks Band, "Practice What You Preach" by Owen & Leon Silvera, "My True Confession (take 1)" by The Silvertones, "Til My Dying Day" by Winston & Slim, "Road To Nowhere (orig mix)" by Lyn Taitt & The Baba Brooks Band, "What A Bailing (take 1)" by Duke Reid Group, The Army Is Searching (take 2)" by Basil Caral & Group, "Storm Warning (take 1)" by Lyn Taitt & the Boys, "Want Me Cock (take 1)" by Owen & Leon Silvera, and "How Know Your Friend (take 1)" by Derrick Morgan – with bonus material by Duke Reid, The Movers, Justin Hinds, Tommy McCook, Froggy, Lynn Tait, Eric Morris, Baba Brooks, Lloyd & Glenn, Derrick & Naomi, The Miracles, The Zodiacs, The Melodies, Sensations, and many many more. CD

Later recording by Armstrong, with notable sidemen including Bernard Purdie, James Spaulding, Frank Owens, Kenny Burrell, Richard Davis, Goergoe Duvivier, Leon Thomas, Billy Harper, Al Grey, Thad Jones, Jimmy Owens, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Remarkable Carmell Jones, indeed – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this up-and-coming force on the LA scene at the start of the 60s! Jones was a player who really showcased something new on the west at the time – a move away from cool jazz, and the start of a deeper, headier generation of musicians – the bold power that would come from cats like Lou Blackburn, Horace Tapscott, and Jimmy Woods. This date's an early entry into that legacy – and has a tight approach to hardbop with plenty of modern elements – a bit like the shift that Curtis Amy was making at the time. In addition to Jones on trumpet, the album also features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Night Tide", "Sad March", and "Stellisa". CD

Luques Curtis, Mark Przybylowski, and Mike Boone on bass, Mark Allen and Todd Marcus on bass clarinet, Anwar Marshall, Donald Edwards, and Gene Jackson on drums, Jim Holton, Neil Podgurski, and Orrin Evans on piano, Chelsea Baratz, Darryl Yokley, Doug DeHays, Jaleel Shaw, Mark Allen, Ralph Bowen, Rob Landham, Tia Fuller, Tim Warfield, Todd Bashore, Victor North, Wade Dean and Wayne Escoffery on saxophone, Brent White, Ernest Stuart, Frank Lacy, Joe McDonough, and Stafford Hunter on trombone, and Brian Kilpatrick, Curtis Taylor, Daud El-Bakara, Josh Evans, Leon Jordan Jr, Luke Brandon, Tatum Greenblatt, Tim Thompson, and Walter White on trumpet. CD

Remarkable Carmell Jones, indeed – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this up-and-coming force on the LA scene at the start of the 60s! Jones was a player who really showcased something new on the west at the time – a move away from cool jazz, and the start of a deeper, headier generation of musicians – the bold power that would come from cats like Lou Blackburn, Horace Tapscott, and Jimmy Woods. This date's an early entry into that legacy – and has a tight approach to hardbop with plenty of modern elements – a bit like the shift that Curtis Amy was making at the time. In addition to Jones on trumpet, the album also features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Night Tide", "Sad March", and "Stellisa". LP, Vinyl record album

Oliver Lake on alto and soprano saxophone and flute, Greg Osby, Jay Branford, John Stubblefield, Marty Ehrlich and Matt Darriau on saxophone, Alfred Patterson, Frank Lacy, Joshua Roseman and Marshall Sealy on trombone, Peter Cirelli on bass trombone, Baikida Carroll, Ken Cervanka, Roy Okutani and Stanton Davis on trumpet, Mark Taylor on French horn, Anthony Peterson on guitar, Geri Allen and Michele Rosewoman on piano, Fred Hopkins and Leon Dorsey on bass, and Andrew Cyrille and Gene Lake on drums. CD

Classic soul, with a slight touch of funk – all served up in a limited vinyl-only package that really does justice to the longstanding legacy of the Free Soul series from Japan! The tunes here are upbeat, soaring, and very much on the positive side of soul music from back in the day – and although most of these tracks are more obscure than the big hits of the 70s, they've achieved greater fame over the decades – thanks in part to use as samples, and through great collections like this one! Titles on this volume include "We've Only Just Begun" by Frank Cunimondo Trio with Lynn Marino, "Don't You Care" by Alice Clarke, "Misdemeanor" by Foster Sylvers, "We've Gotta Find A Way Back To Love" by Freda Payne, "What Am I Gonna Do" by Reid Inc, "You Light Up My Life" by Judy Roberts, "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "Girl Overboard" by Dorothy Moore, "Love Each Other" by Leon Thomas, "Run Away" by Salsoul Orchestra with Loleatta Holloway, and "Am I The Same Girl" by Barbara Acklin. LP, Vinyl record album

Remarkable Carmell Jones, indeed – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this up-and-coming force on the LA scene at the start of the 60s! Jones was a player who really showcased something new on the west at the time – a move away from cool jazz, and the start of a deeper, headier generation of musicians – the bold power that would come from cats like Lou Blackburn, Horace Tapscott, and Jimmy Woods. This date's an early entry into that legacy – and has a tight approach to hardbop with plenty of modern elements – a bit like the shift that Curtis Amy was making at the time. In addition to Jones on trumpet, the album also features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Night Tide", "Sad March", and "Stellisa". LP, Vinyl record album

The Jazzman label hits a whole new level of brilliance – as they turn their funk-trained crate digging skills to the world of spiritual jazz! The collection's an amazing batch of ultra-rare tunes – tracks that take inspiration from the John Coltrane/Archie Shepp work on Impulse Records in the 60s, then run with those roots in bold new directions – soaring, spiritual aims in jazz that reach for new freedoms, but never lapse into the totally-outside modes of free jazz! Instead, there's a really great balance here between structure and struggle – as many tunes often have a good rhythmic pulse, usually modal and soulful, then let the horn solos stretch out more in their own sounds and directions. The mix is amazing, as is the selection of tunes – rare numbers pulled mostly from American independent jazz releases of the 60s and 70s – most of which are as obscure as the funky 45s we normally get from Jazzman. As with the label's US funk compilations, there's full notes on all the music – a heck of a lot of detail on these artists – and tracks on the set include "Paul's Ark" by Morris Wilson Beau Bailey Quintet, "Ayo Ayo Nene" by Mor Thiam, "Nomusa" by Ndikho Xaba & The Natives, "The Afrikan In Winter" by The Positive Force, "Neveen" by Salah Ragab, "Ja Mil" by Hastings Street Jazz Experience, "Be There" by Leon Gardner, "Psych City" by Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble, "Introduction" by James Tatum Trio Plus, and "No Jive" by Frank Derrick Total Experience. US pressing has 2 bonus tracks – "All Prasies To Allah (parts 1 & 2 edit)" by Lightmen Plus One, and "Bada Que Bash" by PE Hewitt Jazz Ensemble. CD

The breakout album for singer Frank Ocean – the featured voice and name attached to some stellar material by other acts leading up to this career-making set for Interscope! Simply put, Channel ORANGE is the hella rare pop phenomenon that not only lives up to the pre-release hype, it actually transcends it! Ocean has a unique and distinct voice and style, and we hope he's here to stay. Includes "Thinkin' About You", "Sierra Leone", "Sweet Life", "Super Rich Kids", "Pilot Jones", "Crack Rock", "Pyramids", "Lost", "Bad Religion", "Pink Matter" and more. CD

A collection of recordings done for the Commodore label, with sides from Coleman Hawkins with The Chocolate Dandies and Leonard Feather's All Stars, and Frank Wess with his quintet and sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album from the great Eddie Kendricks – a set that not only has the singer soaring on the kind of sublime old school vocal numbers he always did so well – but one that also has Eddie stepping out into some great dancefloor modes that would have a huge impact for years to come! Kendricks really scores big with the classic "Keep On Truckin" – a tune that's virtually the blueprint for boogie, and which is echoed here by a few other great numbers that really stand out – tunes that preface disco to come, but which also still bear a very strong link to the richest styles of Motown soul! Northern soul legend Frank Wilson had a great hand in the record – penning some of the best cuts, co-producing with Leonard Caston, and handling arrangements with Caston and James Carmichael – and in addition to "Keep On Truckin", other titles include "Darling Come Back Home", "Not On The Outside", "Any Day Now", "Where Do You Go (Baby)", "Each Day I Cry A Little", and "Only Room For Two". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection, and one that will definitely blow your mind if you only know the Burt Bacharach/Dionne Warwick collaborations, or some of Burt's solo albums on his own! Bacharach started out young and early, and was effortlessly penning pop songs for singers in a variety of styles – working as part of that songwriting scene in New York that was always hustling, and able to get a surprising amount of songs into the hands of up-and-coming singers of the time! The scope of this set is stunning – as the first 3CDs feature 95 tracks penned by the young Bacharach himself – sung by a variety of artists who include The Exotics, Etta James, Gene McDaniels, Paul Evans, Marlene Dietrich, Tommy Sands, The Drifters, Frankie Avalon, The Four Coins, Marty Robbins, Sonny James, Jack Jones, Jo Stafford, Bob Manny, and many others. CD4 21 more tracks that showcase unusual but important influences on Burt's compositional style – including work by Henry Cowell, Alban Berg, Leonard Bernstein, Gill Evans, and Tadd Dameron. CD

Diana Ross makes a big break with Motown for this debut set on RCA – a set that also has the singer making a nice stylistic break as well! The set's got Diana reinventing herself in so many different modes for the 80s – as Ross herself is sitting at the production helm for the record, and does a surprisingly good job of leading the way through a nicely different blend of styles! The set begins with a reworking of the old Frankie Lymon hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" – maybe going more retro than Ross ever did in the past – but things quickly step back into the 80s with a range of mellow groovers and ballads that still show that Diana's at the top of her game, vocally – and album to find ways of moving past any of her older, more familiar modes. Arrangements are by Ray Chew, Leon Pendarvis, Rob Mounsey, and Ron frangipane – and titles include "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", "Endless Love", "It's Never Too Late", "Sweet Nothings", "Two Can Make It", "Work That Body", "Mirror Mirror", and "Sweet Surrender". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing package – a pair of rare avant jazz albums, presented here together! The first album is Peace In The World – maybe the only album issued under the name of Michael Cosmic – but a set that's part of a key legacy with his brother, reedman Phill Musra! The set has Cosmic in very heady territory – sounds that come from his young tenure in the AACM, his brief time with Cecil Taylor, and his budding reputation on the 70s Boston scene – where the set was recorded, and almost stands as a precursor to the rich legacy of improvisational jazz that would emerge on the New England scene for decades to come! Tracks are long and very free, but have spiritual currents too – and Cosmic is mostly on piano, with Musra on soprano sax and tenor, Leonard Brown on soprano and tenor, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Huseyin Ertunc on drums, and Eric Jackson on percussion. Titles include "We Love You Malcolm X", "Peace In The World", "Sapce On Space", and "Arabia". Next is the related album Creator Spaces, by Phill Musra – recorded at the time when he was part of the very underground Boston avant scene – a world that had a slightly different vibe than music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York! The album's got a spiritual avant bent – soulful at the core, with lots of references to outer space as well – and an approach that feels a lot like a classic Saturn Records session by Sun Ra, both in sound and spirit! Musra plays reeds, chimes, and percussion – and the group features some incredible sax work by Michael Cosmic, who also plays a bit of organ, again in a tripped-out, Ra-type way. Huseyin Ertunc plays percussion – very free and loose, in ways that are a great balance to the more angular lines of the reeds – and tracks include "The Creator Is So Far Out", "The Creator Spaces", "Egypt", and "Arabia". Also features unreleased tracks "The Creator Is So Far Out (unreleased version)" and "Phyllis". Added to the set is a really special bonus third CD – an unreleased long live performance of "The Prayer" by Worlds Experience Orchestra – a group from the same scene at the time – with Shaddu Jones on piano, Stan Strickland on tenor and soprano, Frank Peterson on alto, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Robert Ruff on cello, Larry Lerner on drums, and John Klein on amplified violin. CD

A treasure trove of west coast jazz work from the mid 50s – one that features a number of unusual sessions! First off, the set includes 4 tracks that were initially recorded under the leadership of Shorty Rogers, most likely for RCA – and featuring players that include Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre, and Pete Jolly – on titles that include the Giuffre originals "Safari", "Ballade", and "Scarf Dance". Next up are 15 tracks from the rare Best From The West 10" jazz LPs for Blue Note – originally billed as a "blindfold test" under the supervision of Leonard Feather, and some of the label's only west coast jazz sessions of the 50s! The musicians on the original record were not named – probably because of contractual reasons – but artists include Conte Candoli, Jimmy Giuffre, Charlie Mariano, Howard Roberts, Marty Paich, and others – all coming together with a fresh, clean sound that's very much in the spirit of some of the best west coast work for labels like Pacific Jazz or Capitol at the time! This CD reissue includes both of the original 10" albums on one set – along with much-needed notes on the players. Titles include "Santa Anita", "Culver City", "Burbank Bounce", "Arcadia", "Here's Pete", "Santa Monica", and "Blindfold Test No 1". The set then features 9 more tracks from sine 1957 sessions produced by Howard Lucraft, also done as a study in West Coast jazz – featuring compositions by Lucraft that include "Smog A La Mode", "Jazz For Gene", "Larrisa", and "California Zephyr – played by 3 different groups of players that include Bud Shank, Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson, Frank Rosolino, Charlie Mariano, and Buddy Collette. Last up are 4 more tunes from a 1955 session that features Stu Williamson, Herb Geller, Jack Montrose, and Bob Gordon – on tracks that include "Id", "I'm Forever Counting Geigers", and "Skip To Me Loot". 38 tracks in all – with full notes on the sessions and players! CD

Eddie certainly was the "hit man" on this one – a tight album of hard stepping soul tracks, mostly cut in Eddie's famous "boogie" mode of the mid 70s! The cuts mix wonderful soul vocals with some tight jazzy instrumentation – laid down by players like Wah Wah Ragin, Harvey Mason, Ray Parker, and Leonard Caston, who produced the album with Frank Wilson. The record's got swirling strings around harder instrumentation – in a mode that's perfect for Eddie's sweet vocal style – and the sound is right up there with classic work by Marvin Gaye or Barry White. Includes the nice long cut "Body Talk", plus "Happy", "If Anyone Can", "Fortune Teller", "I've Got To Be", and "Skippin' Work Today". LP, Vinyl record album

In his later years, Leonard Bernstein became one of the most-respected conductors in the world of classical music – but at the start, he was working in more popular territory, mixing some of his more ambitious musical ideas with the more down-to-earth form of the music – mostly working in New York, where a series of productions really helped define the city on the rise in the postwar years! This package brings together all those important early Bernstein creations – including two different recordings of the "Fancy Free" ballet, both the songs and the ballet from "On The Town", plus the 1960 recording of the musical – plus "Wonderful Town", "West Side Story", and the "On The Waterfront" symphonic suite – as well as lots of other jazz interpretations of some of these themes – work by Frank Sinatra, Bill Evans, Blossom Dearie, Billie Holiday, Stan Kenton, Dave Brubeck, and others. CD

Solid 70s work from Eddie Kendricks – still super-strong in the vocal department, but perhaps a bit less spectacular on the arrangements, at least in comparison to some of his other work at the time. The cuts are less in the boogie mode than in a complicated lush soul style – and although the record's got plenty of work by dancefloor arrangers like Leonard Caston or Frank Wilson, many of the tracks are in a mellow intimate mode. The biggest exception to this might be the groover "Let Yourself Go" – but the easy side comes through more than enough on tracks like "If", "If You Think", and "Time In A Bottle". Other tracks include "Shoeshine Boy" and "Please Don't Go Away". LP, Vinyl record album

The group billed as "The Mitchells" is an unusual "family" projects put together by Leonard Feather – featuring Whitey Mitchell on bass, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, and Red Mitchell on both bass and piano – none of them related, but coming together here because they all share a last name! Whitey directs the music on the record, and is really the boss of the set – and other players include Frank Rehak on trombone, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, and Andre Previn on piano – working together in a tightly-focused way that carries some of the hallmarks of some of Adams' other albums of the period. Titles include the originals "Three Cheers", "Blues For Brian", "Get Those Elephants Outta Here", and "Monster Rally". LP, Vinyl record album