... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool volume of this excellent series of Louisiana sounds – one that mixes rare and unreleased tracks from the late 50s from equally great 70s sounds – all with a unified bluesy groove that really makes the whole thing come together nicely! The 70s tracks have a style that's much more old school than some of the blues recordings from other scenes at the time! Most of this music could be of late 50s or early 60s vintage, given the approach – which often electrifies the guitar, sometimes throws in a harmonica solo, and usually keeps the rhythms as raw as the production – holding onto an edge that was often missing from more commercial blues productions of the period! There's also a number of cuts by artists you might also know from zydeco work, but who are definitely working here as blues musicians – really showing the link between the two styles. Some of the older music is from the Flyright label – those great JD Miller recordings from the farther reaches of the scene – and also includes some unreleased tracks, too. Package features 28 tracks in all – with titles that include "I'm Not Jiving" by Juke Boy Bonner, "I'm A Lucky Lucky Man" by Henry Gray, "She's Gone" by Schoolboy Cleve, "Wild About My Baby" by Slim Harpo, "No Use To Worry" by Lonesome Sundown, "Oh Yeah She's Gone" by Boozoo Chavis, "I Told My Little Woman" by Lazy Lester, "Late Hour Blues" by Henry Clement, "Night & Day My Love" by Clifton Chenier, "Frankie & Johnny" by Jimmy Anderson, and "Sitting Here Alone" by Johnny Sonnier. CD

Heavy funk, deep soul, and lots lots more – an amazing testament to the songwriting skills of New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint! Allen was a heck of a singer on his own – but he also worked plenty behind the scenes in the 60s and 70s – lending his tunes to many others, and producing a good number of recordings as well – some of the best of which are featured in this sweet little set! The package features two dozen smoking tunes from the pen of Toussaint – songs that are heavy on influences from New Orleans soul and funk – already sounding great in the hands of other soul singers in the collection, and really helping transform the style of other artists in ways you might not expect. The whole thing's got the same righteous vibe as Allen's best records from the 70s – and titles include "I'll Be Rolling" by Millie Jackson, "Hercules" by Boz Scaggs, "Occapella" by Lee Dorsey, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by Solomon Burke, "Sweet Touch Of Love" by Irma Thomas, "Sneakin Sally Thru The Alley" by Robert Palmer, "What Do You Want The Girl To Do" by Lowell George, "Shoo Rah" by Frankie Miller, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "Freedom For The Stallion" by Bill Medley, "Whoever's Thrilling You" by ZZ Hill, "Tampin" by The Rhine Oaks, "A Certain Girl" by Warren Zevon, and even "Southern Nights" by Glen Campell. CD

A great lost legacy in soul music – a killer collection of work that was all put together by Bob Crewe in the New York studios of the mid 60s – a time when Crewe was maybe best known for his brilliant work with the Four Seasons, but still had time to work with a whole host of other acts as well! Like his famous proteges, Bob also had a really strong appreciation for soul music – and here, he turns his stunning ear for studio perfection to a whole host of different artists on tracks that were issued on a variety of different labels – the kind of special magic that made Crewe's presence known to those who were paying attention to producer credits on 45rpm singles back in the day! The selection of cuts is as wonderful as the artists who recorded them – presented with detailed notes and great sound that go way past any of the bootlegs that have explored this territory in previous years – with a whopping 24 tracks in all, titles that include "Long Time No See" by Tracey Dey, "Count On That" by Shirley Matthews & The Big Town Girls, "Time Marches On" by Lainie Hill, "Sayin Something" by Dey & Knight, "Sock It To Me Baby" by James Carr, "3 Minutes Heavy" by The Time Keepers, "Everything Under The Sun" by Walter Jackson, "Deep Dark Secret" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Whatever You Want" by Jerry Butler, "An Angel Cried" by Hal Miller & The Rays, "My Own Two Feet" by Kenny Lynch, "Hurt Yourself" by Frankie Valli, "Stranger In My Arms" by Lynne Randell, and "I'm Going Out" by Kiki Dee. CD