Part of the Alan Lomax collection. CD

Alan Lomax collection wiith music from John Davis, Bessie Jones, Henry Morrison, Peter Davis, Willis Proctor, Joe Armstrong, and Henry Morrison. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Bassist Ray Brown steps out here on two different sessions recorded in Tokyo – each issued as separate albums, and recorded almost two years apart – but with the same group, and a very unified vibe! The spirit here is a lot like some of Brown's best work on Concord Records, both as a sideman and a leader – and the performances feature key Concord associates Gene Harris on piano and Jeff Hamilton on drums – yet the setting is nicely different, recorded with a style that changes things up from Concord, and maybe a bit more bite in the music overall. 2CD set features 18 titles in all – and tracks include "Days Of Wine & Roses", "I Thought About You", "Ain't Misbehavin", "My Romance", "Caravan", "All Blues", "Flying Home", "When You Wish Upon A Star", and "How Insensitive". CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Great overlooked early 70s work from Waylon Jennings – a set that features a key duet with Jessi Colter, some great arrangements from Bergen White, and titles that include "Tomorrow Night In Baltimore", "Pickin White Gold", "Cedartown Georgia", "Big D", and "I'm Gonna Leave You". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 49 tracks. CD

... CD

Meshell Ndegeocello just seems to grow more and more with each new record – quite a feat, given how unique she was at the start! Yet this record clearly marks a new chapter in her wonderful legacy – effortlessly weaving together soul, funk, and plenty of jazzy inspiration – all with an approach that's complex, but with a very down to earth appeal – and served up with all sorts of great guests on the sessions – including Brandee Younger on harp, Joel Ross on vibes, Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet, and Jeff Parker on guitar! Yet it's Meshell who's clearly the leader, the visionary, and the artist who's never content to stay in one lane – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Clear Water", "ASR", "Good Good", "Omnipuss", "An Invitation", "Call The Tune", "Georgia Ave", "Virgo", "Perceptions", "Towers", and "Tha King". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record from the contemporary Chicago scene – one that both gives bassist Junius Paul his first showcase as a leader, and underscores the richly collaborative energy in which the musician works! The set was recorded at various points in the Windy City underground – with Paul at the help of a shifting lineup that includes Makaya McCraven on drums, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Justin Dillard on piano and keyboards, Jim Baker on piano and Arp, Isaiah Spencer on drums, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and Tomeika Reid on cello – with most musicians also handling other instruments too, in a continuation of an AACM legacy – on a record that's then edited by Makaya McCraven, in the best International Anthem mode! The music is jazz, but of the most forward-thinking type – and titles include "Ma & Dad", "Fred Anderson & A Half", "Twelve Eighteen West", "Georgia", "Spocky Chainsey Has Re-Emerged", "The One Who Endures", "Baker's Dozen", "View From The Moon", "You Are Free To Choose", "Paris", "Collant Denier", and "Sprouts". CD

A really fantastic final album from The Peddlers – the UK trio who effortlessly mixed jazz and soul in the 60s, but who work here in a more expanded format! All the best elements of the group's sound are still nicely in place – those raspy vocals, strong use of keyboards, and especially their great sense of a groove – one that's made them a favorite for samples for more sophisticated DJs and producers over the years! But here, the sound is maybe even cooler – thanks to work from the London Philharmonic. Group leader/singer/keyboardist Roy Phillips composed the whole thing, and the Peddlers are at the core – but they're also helped out by percussionist John Punter and guitarist Toney Walmsley, and Peter Robinson – who did the larger orchestrations. Titles include "This Strange Affair", "Raining In London", "Sequence Of Thought", "Did She", "Sequence Of Thought", "In Juxtaposition", "Under London Nights", "River Lives", "I Have Seen", "Impressions", and "A Year And A Day Metamorphosis". CD includes 6 bonus rarities – equally strong singles the trio cut between 1971 and 1973 – compiled by St Eteinne! Titles include "Manah", "Have You Ever Been To Georgia", "Nothing Sacred", "Sing Me An Old Song" and "It's So Easy". CD

Tracks include "Honeysuckle Rose", "Let There Be Love", "Peace For South Africa", "Sushi", "I Remember You/A Child Is Born/Tenderly", "Sweet Georgia Brown", and "Blues For Big Scotia". Cassette

One of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the set! The album's got a rock-solid sound that's filled with soul – almost a bit more down and dirty than some of Peterson's earlier work, very much in the spirit of the group's hit performance of the title track. In a way, the album's almost Oscar's answer to some of the rising younger stars in the soul jazz scene – and is proof that the master still can do things as great as the artists he inspired. Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen is on drums – and tracks include "Bag's Groove", "Georgia On My Mind", "Easy Does It", "Band Call", and "Night Train". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the set! The album's got a rock-solid sound that's filled with soul – almost a bit more down and dirty than some of Peterson's earlier work, very much in the spirit of the group's hit performance of the title track. In a way, the album's almost Oscar's answer to some of the rising younger stars in the soul jazz scene – and is proof that the master still can do things as great as the artists he inspired. Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen is on drums – and tracks include "Bag's Groove", "Georgia On My Mind", "Easy Does It", "Band Call", and "Night Train". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the set! The album's got a rock-solid sound that's filled with soul – almost a bit more down and dirty than some of Peterson's earlier work, very much in the spirit of the group's hit performance of the title track. In a way, the album's almost Oscar's answer to some of the rising younger stars in the soul jazz scene – and is proof that the master still can do things as great as the artists he inspired. Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen is on drums – and tracks include "Bag's Groove", "Georgia On My Mind", "Easy Does It", "Band Call", and "Night Train". CD

A nice, nice compilation of sides cut by Powell for Norman Granz, from 1949 to 1951. Given Powell's well documented bouts with instability and alcoholism, there are several periods that lasted for months and sometimes years when he would go unrecorded. The first dates on this set come at the end of one of those periods, and Bud is in fine, fiery form, presented here in a trio setting with Ray Brown and Max Roach. Another set of trio's follows, with Curly Russell replacing Brown, and the second LP is almost all solo piano work. The set is extensvely annotated by Gary Giddins, and features some of Powell's best sides. 24 tracks in all, including "Tempus Fugit", "Cherokee", "Strictly Confidential", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Tea For Two" and "Sweet Georgia Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

Joy Dan's a little-known singer from Chicago – but she confidently takes on a variety of soul hits here – working with arrangements that are somewhat modern, but still earthy enough to live up to the indie soul look of the set! Joy's vocals are a bit shaky at times, but that's the great thing about them – as she makes her way through more familiar soul covers – slowly unmaking their cliches as she does so! Think of the album as an appealing lounge set caught at a small club – and enjoy the record's versions of tracks that include "For Your Precious Love", "Midnight Train To Georgia", "Try Me", "Release Me", "Misty", "Stand By Me", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and "Unchained Melody". LP, Vinyl record album

Icludes "Guitar Man", "Georgia On My Mind", "A Thing Called Love", "Tupelo Mississippi Flash", "Today Is Mine" and more – 11 tracks in all. CD

Includes the songs "I Got Rhythm", "Crazy Rhythm", "My Melancholy Baby", "Jeepers Creepers", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Liza", "Nuages", "Nuits De Saint Germain Des Pres", "Just One Of Those Things", "I Cover The Waterfront",and "I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight". CD

A mindblowing little record – one of those jazz meetings you might never have thought possible, and every bit as great as you'd expect! By the time of this set, Lars Gullin had already reached the heights of jazz in Scandinavia – one of the hippest players of the 50s, ready to branch out into even new ideas and expressions in the 60s! Enter Archie Shepp, quite young at the time, but already a fiercely creative talent on the tenor – blowing here alongside Gullin in the relaxed, open format of a live date at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen – a well-recorded performance that was done for Swedish radio, and which has both players taking very long solos. It's great to hear Lars really stretch out – sounding looser and grittier than on some of his studio work – and Shepp's really on fire blowing through the standards on the date – almost hinting at that approach he'd use in the late 70s, but with all the burning quality of his youth! Other players include Tete Montoliu on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums – and titles include "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "The House I Live In", "I Should Care", and "Sweet Georgia Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

The "future" in the title is very well-put – as the album seems to open up a rich new chapter in the music of the legendary vocalist Dwight Trible – a singer who's carried on the spiritual legacy of the 70s well into the 21st Century, and who's always given us some fantastic records in the past! And here, Trible's continuing that legacy, but in a different way – mixing up styles in ways that almost seem to echo the experiments on the London and Chicago scenes of late, and also mixing cosmic elements with more down to earth soul styles – in a core group that's heavier on bass and electric guitar than some of his other groups. The set features guest vocals from Georgia Anne Muldrow on one track, and guest tenor from Kamasi Washington on another – and titles include "Beach Vibes", "Elements", "African Drum", "Black Dance", "Wind", "Derf Reklaw", and "My Stomping Ground". CD

Ward performs with a stellar ensemble led by Bucky Pizzarelli, including Steve Jordan, Bernie Privin, Pee Wee Erwin, Ruby Braff, George Masso, Vic Dickenson, Phil Bodner, Al Cohn, Mickey Crane, Tony Monte, Warren Chiasson, Milt Hinton, Slam Stewart, Butch Miles, and Bobby Rosengarden. Titles include "I've Got The World On A String", "Pennies From Heaven", "Goody Goody", "Jeepers Creepers", "S Wonderful", "Sweet Georgia Brown" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A previously unreleased live date from late in the career of Ben Webster – recorded at The Renaissance in Hollywood in 1960, but unissued until nearly 25 years later! The group features Jim Hall on guitar, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – and tracks are all longish, and live-feeling – with that sense of fragility that marked some of Webster's later recordings in this mode, and even further deepened the humanity in his tone. And while the recording quality is definitely "live" at times, Ben's tone comes through loud and clear – different than on some of the tighter Verve recordings of a few years before, but in a way that's really great. Titles include "Georgia On My Mind, "Caravan", "Stardust", and "Ole Miss Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A previously unreleased live date from late in the career of Ben Webster – recorded at The Renaissance in Hollywood in 1960, but unissued until nearly 25 years later! The group features Jim Hall on guitar, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – and tracks are all longish, and live-feeling – with that sense of fragility that marked some of Webster's later recordings in this mode, and even further deepened the humanity in his tone. And while the recording quality is definitely "live" at times, Ben's tone comes through loud and clear – different than on some of the tighter Verve recordings of a few years before, but in a way that's really great. Titles include "Georgia On My Mind, "Caravan", "Stardust", and "Ole Miss Blues". CD features 4 more bonus tracks – "Gone With The Wind", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Mop Mop", and "Renaissance Blues". CD

Two different sides of Verve Records in the 50s – one modern, one a bit more traditional – and both represented in live material from the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957! Side one features a stunning live performance from pianist Teddy Wilson – working in a tight trio with Milt Hinton on bass and Spec Powell on drums – and really blowing away any conceptions we might have had about Wilson being aging or flowery at the time. Instead, he's got a sharp edge and command of the keys that's amazing – and which almost seems to have a bit more bite than usual in this concert setting. Titles include "Stompin At The Savoy", "Basin Street Blues", and "Airmail Special" – and Gerry Mulligan joins the group on baritone for a reading of "Sweet Georgia Brown". Mulligan then takes off with his own group, in a completely different format – no piano at all, just beautiful work from Joe Benjamin on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – and sublime sounds from Bob Brookmeyer's valve trombone, which is a perfect match for Gerry's deep tones. The group plays long takes on "My Funny Valentine" and "Utter Chaos". LP, Vinyl record album

The famous 50s team of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding are reunited strongly here – after working alone for several years on their own projects! The groove here is a bit more open and less arranged than some of the pair's earlier projects – mostly just two trombones in the lead, soloing separately, with backing from a rhythm trio – split into two for each half of the album, with Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Roy Haynes handling side one; and Evans, Tommy Williams, and Art Taylor on side two. Tunes are short, but include deft demonstrations of the solo talents of each player – and titles include "Judy", "Alone Together", "Going, Going, Going", "Trixie", "This Could Be The Part Of Something", "Georgia On My Mind", "I Concentrate On You", and "Just For A Thrill". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Midnight Symphony", "DB Blues", "The Man I Love", "Blues For Marvin", "Sweet Georgia Brown", and "I Got Rhythm". CD

With selections by Georgia Brown, Chas & Dave, Hilka Cornelius, Steve Alaimo, Eddie Blazonczyk, Bonnie Gallie, Frankie Station, and The DJ Fontana Band. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really changing things up! The album's heavy on New York and Philly-based tracks, and some of the artists here are ones who'd had an earlier life in soul music, but were picking up the rhythms, adding in some larger arrangements, and creating grooves that really knocked the whole thing out of the park! The presentation here is based on a famous 1975 article that looked at the underground scene out in Brooklyn for New York magazine – later made famous as Saturday Night Fever – and as such, the tracks here are full of surprises, and very different than the usual disco-inspired compilation. Titles include "Just As Long As We're Together (single version)" by Gloria Scott, "After You've Had Your Fling" by The Intrepids, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "Mellow Me" by Faith Hope & Charity, "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Date With The Rain (LP version)" by Eddie Kendricks, "Georgia's After Hours" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "If That's The Way You Feel" by White Heat, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Tell Me What You Want" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Night Of The Wolf" by Ivano Fossati, "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy" by John Gary Williams, "You Can't Hide Love" by Creative Source, "Wendy Is Gone" by Ronnie McNeir, "Free & Easy" by Satyr, and "Keep It Up" by Betty Everett. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic second set from keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones – a musician we first came to love in the UK-based Ezra Collective, and one who's now effortlessly bridging a space between jazz and soul! The record's got a vibe that's as cosmic as its cover – but one that comes not just through creative keyboard work, but from a great overall conception of the songs – so that Joe's music flows out with a warm style that embraces our ears, then takes us on a journey to the heavens! This isn't the usual keyboard jazz, with references heavy on the past – as Armon-Jones is as forward-thinking as his best contemporaries on the London scene. The set features great guest vocals from Georgia Anne Muldrow on the tune "Yellow Dandelion" – and other guest appearances by Nubya Garcia, Jehst, and Obongjayar – on titles that include "Try Walk With Me", "Gnawa Sweet", "Icy Roads", "To Know Where You're Coming From", "The Leo & The Aquarius", and "Self Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The second chapter of Erykah Badu's New Amerykah – recorded for the most part, quite incredibly, during the same period and with the same collaborators as the mind-altering, murky and righteous hip hop funk experimentalism that was Part One – some months that must be among the most dizzyingly creative in Badu's career! We're reluctant to call Return Of The The Ankh a lighter listen than its predecessor, but, it's a less dense and outwardly experimental batch in the sonic realm – the emotionalism and the head nodding warmth is at the forefront, yet she's as uncompromising and real as ever. The sound is still innovative, unique and her own on all fronts, but the songs chosen for Part Two are ones you want to approach and embrace from the opening seconds – there's not as much of a tripped out overall vibe and you don't need to acclimate from a distance – these songs pull you right in! Includes collaborations with James Poyser, Shafiq Husayn, Ta'Raach, Karriem Riggins, Madlib and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Includes "20 Feet Tall", "Window Seat", "Agitation", "Turn Me Away (Get Munny)", "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long", "Love", "Out My Mind, Just In Time" and more. CD

Plenty marvelous work from Count Basie and a whole host of longtime associates – all pulled from 50s records for the Vanguard label, most of which weren't done under Basie's leadership, but were headed by drummer Jo Jones, trumpeter Buck Clayton, and singer Joe Williams! Other players include Freddie Green on guitar, Lucky Thompson on tenor, Earl Warren on alto sax, Emmett Berry on trumpet, and Marlowe Morris on organ – and oddly, Basie doesn't even appear to be on all the tracks. That's ok with us, though – because often, small group sessions by Basie sidemen could be even more interesting than their bigger band work – as you'll hear on titles that include "Caravan", "Splittin", "Squeeze Me", "Buck Huckles", "Georgia Mae", "Lover Man", and "Shoe Shine Boy". CD

One of the most compelling albums ever recorded by guitarist Eugene Chadbourne – a set billed as "free improvised country and western bebop" – and which features Chadbourne serving up these wild variations on tunes by Carl Perkins, Roger Miller, David Allen Coe, Bobby Bare, Merle Haggard, and other country music legends! The album's much more Eugene than Nashville – although Chadbourne does sing lyrics on all of the tunes, but in a way that's very offbeat and hardly unlike the originals at all – as is his guitar work, which is acoustic and all twisted and turned up in all the offbeat phrasings you might expect! Much of the record is Chadbourne on vocals and electric dobro – but the set also features some drums by David Licht, saxes from John Zorn, and cello from Tom Cora. Titles include "The Last Word In Lonesome Is Me", "I'm The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised", "Georgia In A Jug", "Motel Time Again", "Dang Me", "Window Shopping", "Jealous Loving Heart", "Mr Record Man", and "Swingin Doors". CD

Two great albums by Ray Charles on one CD! Ray Charles & Betty Carter is a classic album of soul duets – and one of the deeper records cut by Ray during the 60s! The arrangements are by the great Marty Paich, and although there's some singers in the background, the overall sound is still pretty nice and soulful. Betty's high voice works well with Ray's raspy low one – especially on their classic duet version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Other tracks include "For All We Know", "Every Time We Say Goodbye", "Side By Side", and "You & I". Dedicated To You is a bit more polished, and features Ray singing tributes to a dozen ladies that are supposedly the "you" in the title! Tracks include "Josephine", "Candy", "Ruby", "Stella (By Starlight)", "Hardhearted Hannah", and "Sweet Georgia Brown". 24 cuts in all – and very nicely remastered! CD

An early 70s gem from Jimmy McGriff! Jimmy's grooving with a larger group here – but in a funky 70s mode that makes for a great update of the rawer sound he laid out on some of his Sue sides in the 60s. The best tracks are the covers of 70s soul material – like "Shaft", "What's Going On", and "Let's Stay Together" – hewn in the organ funk mode that Jimmy pioneered and honed with his trademark expertise. Another highlight of the record is an original called "Tiki", that has a slight exotica feel to it, coming off very nice with Jimmy's organ work! Other tracks include "Georgia On My Mind" and "April In Paris". CD

A classic album from one of the coolest groups to emerge from the southern rock scene of the 70s – a combo who can be as tight and jazzy as The Crusaders one minute, then show off their down home roots the next! Sea Level have a sound that's impeccable throughout this self-titled set – almost a Macon, Georgia answer to the sound of Steely Dan in LA – and the set mixes instrumental tracks that have a jazzy fusion vibe with more straightforward tracks that hit the soul-inspired sound of southern rock in the years after the rise of Memphis and Muscle Shoals. The jazz cuts are the real charmers – tremendous stuff that we'd rank right up there with the best fusion of the period – and titles include "Rain In Spain", "Shake A Leg", "Grand Larceny", "Scarborough Fair", "Just A Good Feeling", "Tidal Wave", and "Nothing Matters But The Fever". LP, Vinyl record album

The third album from Seatrain – a record with a title that refers to their move to Marblehead, Massachusetts from their original home in Marin County, California! That geographic shift maybe signals a bit of a musical shift too – some slightly stronger bluesy currents mixed in with their roots rock elements – fleshed out with songwriting that feels a bit more complicated and personal too! As with the previous album, George Martin produced – and has a sense of compression that really helps the sound of the set – and titles include "Gramercy", "The State Of Georgia's Mind", "Marblehead Messenger", "London Song", "Losing All The Years", "Despair Tire", and "Lonely's Not The Only Way To Go". LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing collaboration – one that brings the soulful vocals of Nenah Cherry into play with the avant jazz sounds of The Thing – but all in a mode that's unlike anything either artist has recorded before! The mix of talents is no surprise – given that Nenah's dad is Don Cherry, whose own European work helped to set the tone for a generation – and also given that group members Mats Gustafsson, Paal Nilssen Love, and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten all have ears for styles that go way beyond jazz – including a surprisingly great taste for offbeat funk, which really comes to the forefront on this unusual set! Make no mistake, there's still plenty of jazz-based instrumentation – sharp reeds from Mats, heavy drums from Paal, and those magical moody basslines that we love so much from Ingebrigt – but they often get a bit more directed, and are augmented with slight added instrumentation at points – to provide a perfect foil for Cherry's righteous vocals – all with results that easily make the album one of the most unusual soul projects we've heard in years – on a par with equally creative efforts from artists like Meshell Ndegeocello, Erykah Badu, or Georgia Anne Muldrow. Titles include "Cashback", "Dream Baby Dream", "Too Tough To Die", "What Reason Could I Give", "Dirt", "Accordion", and "Sudden Moment". CD

An amazing tribute to the Bakersfield scene – one that finally gives the California city the same sort of attention that we usually see in sets dedicated to Nashville! Bakersfield is well-known as the home of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, but the city's got a long legacy of influencing country music for decades – a good deal of which is presented here, in a package that brings together loads of rare Cali country singles that we never would have heard otherwise, along with well-chosen cuts from some of its stars, and a fair bit of rare and unissued material too! At the center of the set is a huge hardcover book by Scott Bomar – hardcover, 12" square, and with 224 full color pages of notes and images on the genius of Bakersfield, and what made it such a unique country music spot. The 10 CDs feature nearly 300 songs in all – one disc of which is all rare live and unissued material – and in addition to work by Buck and Merle, the set features tracks by Wayne Morris, Jerry Cornelius, Vancie & Rita, Georgia Lynn, Kenny Hays, Tommy Lewis, Rollie Webber, Johnny Barnette, Bonnie Owens, Bobby Durham, George Latta, Owen Charles, Larry Daniels, Gene Moles, Al Brumley, Bill Handy, Leo Stephens, Faye Hardin, Tom Tall, Cliff Crofford, Kenny Vernon, Rose Lee Maphis, Oscar Whittington, Foyle Holley, Dick Curless, Red Simpson, Gary Paxton, Jim Ward, and many many more! CD

With selections by Sidney Bechet, Lil Johnson, Bessie Smith, Oscar's Chicago Swingers, Johnny Temple, Merline Johnson, Coot Grant & Kid Wesley Wilson, Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band, Jelly Roll Morton, Lucille Bogan, Bessie Jackson, and Georgia White. LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Henry Townsend, Charley Jordan, Hi Henry Brown, Georgia Boyd, Joe Stone, and Peetie Wheatstraw. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really changing things up! The album's heavy on New York and Philly-based tracks, and some of the artists here are ones who'd had an earlier life in soul music, but were picking up the rhythms, adding in some larger arrangements, and creating grooves that really knocked the whole thing out of the park! The presentation here is based on a famous 1975 article that looked at the underground scene out in Brooklyn for New York magazine – later made famous as Saturday Night Fever – and as such, the tracks here are full of surprises, and very different than the usual disco-inspired compilation. Titles include "Just As Long As We're Together (single version)" by Gloria Scott, "After You've Had Your Fling" by The Intrepids, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "Mellow Me" by Faith Hope & Charity, "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Date With The Rain (LP version)" by Eddie Kendricks, "Georgia's After Hours" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "If That's The Way You Feel" by White Heat, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Tell Me What You Want" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Night Of The Wolf" by Ivano Fossati, "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy" by John Gary Williams, "You Can't Hide Love" by Creative Source, "Wendy Is Gone" by Ronnie McNeir, "Free & Easy" by Satyr, and "Keep It Up" by Betty Everett. CD

James Brown cooking it live – recorded (as the cover says) "at home in Augusta, Georgia with his bad self"! The groove here is a nice extension of earlier Apollo modes – one that shows the increasing funkiness of the James Brown Band, captured with a raw power that few other groups could match – in a style that really paves the way for the James Brown/JBs sound of the 70s – with long tracks, and some killer fast versions of some of the best funky cuts from the late King Records years! The set includes a smoking 10 minute version of "Sex Machine" –plus other groovers like "I Got the Feeling", "Mother Popcorn", "Licking Stick", and a great version of "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Buhaina Buhaina", "After You've Gone", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "That's All", "Blues For Sam Nassi", "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over", "The Real Blues", "Carioca Hills", "Exactly Like You", "Georgia On My Mind", "Keep On Pumpin'", "Onion Roll", "Gumbo Hump", "High Heel Sneakers", "Put Your Little Foot Right Out", "Ralph's Boogie", "Rockin' In Rhythm", "Lady Be Good", "Blue Bossa", "Like Someone In Love", "The Flintstones Theme", "Take The "A" Train", "Just Friends", and "Captain Bill". CD

Includes the songs "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone", "Mad Monk", "Billie's Bounce", "I Surrender Dear", "Red Cross","Dynamo A", "Summertime", "Stardust", "Old Man River", "Night And Day", "The Man I Love", "Georgia On My Mind", "Easy To Love", "Over The Rainbow", "Where Or When", "En Ce Temps-La", "Somebody Loves Me", "Riviera Blues (Blues A la Don)", "Laura", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". CD

The group were certainly doing something right – as this album has Joe Cuba's sextet at the top of their game, easily showing why they were one of the best groups on the New York scene of the 60s! The album's a pivotal one in the development of Latin Soul – as it sports the incredible track "El Pito" – one of those Latin jammers that grabbed everyone right away, and which has barely ever been matched since! The album's also got some great use of English language lyrics – crucial to the unique crossover sound that Joe was forging, and a real bridge between Spanish and African American Harlem in the 60s. Titles include "My Wonderful You", "El Pito (I'll Never Go Back To Georgia)", "Pruebalo, OK?", "Bochinchosa", "Incomparable", and "Clave Mambo". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential work from The Gladiators – exactly the kind of group that did so well in the early Studio One approach! The group are in a familiar mode – a Jamaican soul trio with a strong lead, and warm harmony backup – but there's also maybe a bit more of an edge going on here – partly from the deep, dark rhythms on the tunes – which often have a bottom end that really offsets the vocals – but also maybe just because of the overall badass vibe of the group, as you'd guess from their image on the cover! The Gladiators are to Jamaican music what the grittier New Jersey soul acts were to the mainstream soul market in the US at the same time – as you'll hear on titles that include "Hello Carol", "Rainy Night In Georgia", "Love And Meditation", "On The Other Side", "Jah Go Before Us", "Roots Natty Roots", "Peace Truce", "My Thoughts", and "Downtown Rebel". Reissue features bonus tracks – "Serious Thing", "Jah Jah (version)", "Serious (version)", "Culture", "Rearrange", "Peace Truce", and "Roots Natty/Natty Chalawa (disco mix)". CD

Mindblowing lost work from Jimi Hendrix – studio tracks from the late 60s that were never issued at the time, brought together to make a completely sublime full length set! The package is way hipper and stronger than you might imagine – not studio snippets or replayed outtakes – but instead some strong full longs, and rare studio recordings of material that Jimi had mostly given the world in a live setting – all recorded between 1968 and 1970, and almost all issued here for the first time ever! The core group on most tracks is the trio with Buddy Miles on drums and Billy Cox on bass – but the tracks also feature some surprising guests – including a bit of organ and vocals from Stephen Stills, tenor from Lonnie Youngblood, and guitar from Johnny Winter. One tracks features Jimi just duetting with Miles on drums – and there's another that even features Hendrix on vibes. Titles include "Sweet Angel", "$20 Fine", "Power Of Soul", "Jungle", "Cherokee Mist", "Send My Love To Linda", "Woodstock", "Mannish Boy", "Lover Man", "Hear My Train A Comin", "Georgia Blues", "Stepping Stone", and "Things I Used To Do". CD

One of the wildest records of the early 70s – and it's still pretty darn hard to argue with the power of this one – even if the purists' issues with the production are nearly as legendary as the album itself! There's plenty of manic energy the original release mix – one that clearly inspired, if not altogether gave birth to the punk scene – and make the album one of those quintessential examples of great art being made under compromising circumstances. Fierceness personified! Includes classics like "Search & Destroy", "Death Trip", "Gimme Danger", "Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell (aka Hard To Beat)", "Raw Power", "Shake Appeal", and "Death Trip". This legacy edition includes the original 1973 David Bowie mix, now remastered, with a second disc featuring a previously unreleased hour long live set from Richards in Atlanta, recorded in October of 1973 (titled Georgia Peaches) featuring Raw Power tracks plus "Head On", "Heavy Liquid", "Cock In My Pocket" and "Open Up And Bleed". Includes 2 bonus studio tracks, too: "Doojiman" (Raw Power sessions outtake) and "Head On" (rehearsal performance). Also includes a 24 page color booklet with new liner notes and previously unseen photos. CD

Folk soul guitar player, singer, songwriter, storyteller and genuine character Abner Jay's brilliant home recordings – the first release of his "terrible comedy blues" in far too long – courtesy of the always deep digging Mississippi label! Abner takes on the topical issues of the days with a skewed sensibility that's brilliant, and his singing, the performances and the recording quality aren't really as rough and raw as you might expect, though nowhere even close to manicured and clean sound – it's just right really for the material. Great stuff! Titles include "I'm So Depressed", "Cocaine", "Vietnam", "St James Infirmary Blues", "Cleo", "Woke Up This Morning", "Don't Mess With My Baby", "I'm Georgia Bound" and "The Reason Young People Use Drugs". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Zooming At The Zombie", "Front And Center", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Undecided", "Prelude For Trumpet", "Revolutionary Etude", and "Blue Skies" – 22 tracks total. CD

By the time she reached the Buddah label, Gladys Knight had already recorded for many years and other labels, but that didn't stop her and The Pips from having an extremely successful run during their stay there – as is evidenced by the great selection of hits on this set! The album includes the super-huge "Midnight Train To Georgia" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", plus the sophisticated soul reworking of "Try To Remember" mixed with "The Way We Were". Also includes 2 nice Curtis Mayfield cuts – "Make Yours A Happy Home" and "On & On"! LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Gladys Knight and group – as the record features their super-huge hit "The Midnight Train To Georgia", a landmark track that not only had a catchy pop hook, but which spoke volumes about African-American migration in the postwar years. The track's one of those you've heard a million times, but it's got a strength that still holds up tremendously. Part of this is due to great production work by Tony Camillo – who handled arrangements and studio work on about half the tracks – and part is due to Jim Weatherly, who wrote the song, and about half the others on the album. The whole album's great – one of the best Buddah Records moments for the group – and titles include "I've Got To Use My Imagination", "Window Raising Granny", "Where Peaceful Waters Flow", "Once In A Lifetime Thing", "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", and "Storms Of Trouble Times". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard music from the great Charles Lloyd – two well-recorded live sets from the 60s, both with a very unusual group! The lineup has Lloyd on tenor, soprano, and flute, working with frequent partner Gabor Szabo on guitar – but the rest of the quartet also features Ron Carter on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums – two players who really have an open, laidback way of letting the music flow! All tracks are nice and long, and Lloyd is wonderfully expressive – maybe even more so than on his studio records from the period – with these long, soulful, spiritual solos that almost make us feel like he's picked up the torch from the recently-departed Eric Dolphy – especially in the way that Dolphy would spin things out in a live setting. The set features two versions of "Lady Gabor", both a bit different – plus the titles "How Can I Tell You", "Slug's Blues", "Sweet Georgia Bright", and "Dream Weaver". CD

Charlie Louvin's amazing late career creative upswing continues with these Murder Ballads And Disaster Songs – the kind he's sung for 50 something years – done wonderfully this time for Tompkins Square! Back in the 50s, the Louvin Brothers put out 2 widely disparate theme albums in a short stretch, the ominous Tragic Songs Of Life and the spiritual Satan Is Real – and Charlie does a similar thing with this record and its counterpart Steps To Heaven. He does magic with a few numbers from Tompkins Square's superlative People Take Warning box set of archival folk & blues recordings, and a few other gems, with sly honky tonk arrangements. Mark Nevers staffs the sound with some of the best young pickers and players in Nashville, including Chris Scruggs, William Tyler, Ben Hall & others – and as a bonus, we always love it when Andrew Bird lays off the whistling, the live looping and gimmickry, and just fiddles – as he does wonderfully here on "Darling Corey". Other tracks include "Wreck Of Old 97", "Katy Dear", "Down With The Old Canoe", "The Little Grave In Georgia", "My Brother's Will", "Dixie Boll Weavel", "Is This My Destiny", "Mary Of The Wild Moor", "My Texas Girl" and more. CD

Three great 60s albums from jazz singer Carmen McRae – all in a single set! Second To None is one of Carmen McRae's best records of the 60s – an album done with beautiful arrangements from Peter Matz, who's probably best known for his work with Barbara Streisand at the time – and who really helps McRae take her music to the next level! Carmen was already one of the most sophisticated jazz singers of the 50s – but in the following decade, she really perfected her phrasing – and was able to grab material and make it completely her own – all with a mode that's steeped in the special sort of inflections a jazz singer can bring, but which is also able to maybe be even more adult in approach overall. The strings soar, the percussion is fairly spare and often a little bit off kilter – and Carmen emphasizes her phrasing and more earthy tendencies without any empty histrionics – on titles that include "In The Love Vain", "The Music Makes Me Dance", "Too Good", "Once Upon A Summertime", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Cloudy Morning". Live & Doin It is about as strong an example of the genius of Carmen McRae as you could ever hope to find – a live album that displays Carmen's impeccable phrasing in a very stripped-down setting – and one that also swings with a fair degree of sophisticated soul as well! Back in the 50s, Carmen paved the way for later stars like Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – and here, she outdoes both of them with effortless ease – working with a very cool trio that features Norman Simmons on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and a very young Stu Martin on drums. The set's got that strong understanding of soul that was explored even more fully in her Atlantic Records years – which really transforms tracks in unexpected ways. Titles include "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Quiet Nights", "Trouble Is A Man", "My Ship Has Sailed", "No Where", "Meaning Of The Blues", and "I Only Have Eyes For You". Haven't We Met is great work from Carmen McRae – light and groovy one minute, deeply expressive the other – but all with a sense of balance that few other singers can touch at this point in her career! Carmen's already moved past straight jazz, yet she also avoids the traps of bigger label commercial singers too – really making the best of the sophisticated charts by Don Sebesky, yet also always reminding us who's in charge! The album's on a par with the excellent work to come for Atlantic records – and titles include the groovy "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", "Who Can I Turn To?", "He Loves Me", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Limehouse Blues", "I'm Foolin' Myself", "Fools and Lovers", and the title track – a wonderfully groovy take on the Kenny Rakin tune "Haven't We Met". CD

Includes the songs "I Found A New Baby", "Body And Soul", "Moten Swing", "Coquette", "Lady Be Good", "Blues", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Cherokee", "You Say Forward, I'll March", "Lonely Boy Blues", "Vine Street Boogie", "Jump The Blues", "One O'Clock Jump (Theme)", "Bottle It", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", and "One O'Clock Jump (Theme)". CD

A rare set from alto saxophonist Frank Morgan – captured live at the Jazz Standard! Frank carries the torch wonderfully from skills he honed in 50s bebop – working out a set with a sterling quartet setting featuring Curtis Lundy on bass, Billy Hart on drums, and standout effort from pianist Geroge Cables! The tunes run from measured and mellow, to some occasional charging solos and muscular riffing. 8 cuts, heavy on standards including "Georgia On My Mind", "Cherokee", "All Blues", "I Mean You", "Round Midnight", Equinox" and "Impressions". CD

Titles include "Gut Bucket Blues", "Flat Foot", "Oriental Strut", "Snag It", "Muskrat Ramble", "Doctor Jazz", "Ory's Creole Trombone", "Big Fat Ma And Skinny Pa", and "Georgia Grind" – 37 tracks total. CD

Tracks include "Honeysuckle Rose", "Let There Be Love", "Peace For South Africa", "Sushi", "I Remember You/A Child Is Born/Tenderly", "Sweet Georgia Brown", and "Blues For Big Scotia". CD